


the thrill of the moment (baby, i’m bad at love)

by jjokkiri



Category: Produce 101 (TV), UP10TION, X1 (Korea Band)
Genre: ???? - Freeform, Alternate Universe - College/University, Bad Flirting, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Feelings, Fraternities & Sororities, Internal Conflict, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Sharing a Bed, Shenanigans, Slow Burn, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, a lot of poor judgement, a lot of these feelings are anger, and a lot of mentions of alcohol, and of course: maurice, but he's also a soft boy, definitely has romance, dumb boys fall in love, honestly I don't know what I'm doing, i don't know what this is, rated for constant swearing and inappropriate jokes, the meerkats deserve their own warning, there are a lot of parties, there is a lot of chaos, unhealthy coping mechanisms: denial, varsity sports make an appearance with the frat, wooseok has a lot of feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-10-27 06:11:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 75,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20755640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jjokkiri/pseuds/jjokkiri
Summary: Kim Wooseok, in a terribly passionate spur of emotions, embarrasses himself at the varsity quarterfinals and Lee Jinhyuk doesn’t miss his chance to shoot his shot. And it wouldn’t have been too much of a problem, except Lee Jinhyuk is a) tall and charming; b) a person who has a dazzling smile; and c) a terrible flirt, in Wooseok’s professional opinion.(Or, in a series of unfortunate events—somehow—Wooseok gets a little too involved with Jinhyuk, the vice-captain of the varsity basketball team).





	the thrill of the moment (baby, i’m bad at love)

**Author's Note:**

> this was a hot mess of a ride from beginning to end, almost two months of sheer hell and a half. this was projected to be approximately a third the length it turned out to be but what am i going to do? yeet it into the void? _nah_.
> 
> special thanks to q for holding my hand throughout this whole thing (and for having an undying love for _maurice_); to t for being the sweetest cheerleader; and to s for giving me title inspiration when i was struggling and believing in me. && to the everyone else who cheered me on, you're all literally the best things to grace this planet.
> 
> if you see any blatant plot holes or continuity errors, please excuse me. that's all my fault. i'm so tired. this whole thing is unbeta'd. please forgive me.

Everything happened as a sequence of events, something like a puzzle of events fitting together to build a path. Every decision made lead to a certain point in someone’s life. Every choice and every mistake, no matter how minuscule. It all led to a certain, somehow-predetermined point in a person’s life. And once a decision was made, it was impossible to turn back. Turning back on the path was impossible. Every decision was made firm and permanent.

So, perhaps when Kim Wooseok decided he was going to skip his useless, first-year philosophy lecture, he already had his path set in stone. When he walked halfway up the stairs, then turned away from his lecture hall and decided he would much rather attend the university’s varsity basketball quarterfinals, it was predetermined. Everything in the universe, from that point, fell into place to assure that he was going to embarrass himself to the point that he would never set foot in the school gymnasium ever again.

If he had known, he would have just decided to go to class. Had he chosen to have gone to class, as he should have, none of this would have happened. He would have been safe.

But it was too late for regrets. It was too late for him to turn back.

The large scoreboard mounted in the centre of the gymnasium gleamed, red and bright; _114-113_. The home team, the Seoul University Meerkats, lead the game by a single point with just under a second remaining on the clock. And no matter how much he hated the mascot of his school, _Wooseok’s _team lead by a single point. That was a big deal.

A player from the opposing team was standing at the foul line, ready to shoot his second shot. If he miraculously made the shot, there was an almost-certain chance the game would go into overtime. The players of both teams looked exhausted. Wooseok doubted the team (his team) would make it out of the quarterfinals alive if they lost this game.

With their faces painted in streaks of red, the school’s spirit team chanted loudly in an attempt to distract the players from the opposing team from their spot at the bottom of the bleachers. Their victory was dependent on the result of the free-throw attempt. 

Wooseok remained silent, eyes focused on every individual movement of the players lined up on the court. Alike to every other person in the gymnasium, whether player or spectator, Wooseok was nervous. The sound of the ball being dribbled seemed to echo as a loud _thud_ in his ears. 

It was as if a sudden burst of adrenaline overcame him when his sharp eyes caught movement from someone dressed in red—a Meerkat. Movement before the ball was launched? He couldn’t let it happen. There was too much risk.

_“Don’t fucking touch him! You don’t need to foul him to win! You can do it!”_

Wooseok barely even managed to register that it was his own voice that suddenly projected throughout the gymnasium. His voice was louder than the spirit team’s shouting. The player from the opposing team launched the ball from his hands, unsteady. The player looked to have been visibly startled by the sudden sound of Wooseok’s voice.

The realization came to him when it struck him that he was suddenly on his feet. But, instead of sitting down in an attempt to conceal his identity, Wooseok found himself frozen solid. Unable to duck out of sight before the attention swarmed him, Wooseok focused on the movement of the basketball rolling around the rim.

And then it seemed as if everyone in the entire gymnasium held their breath as the ball rolled against the rim of the net. It rolled slowly. Then, the ball rolled outward and onto the wooden floor of the gymnasium.

The dull thudding of the basketball slowly bouncing across the court, after having fallen from the rim of the net, somehow sounded even louder in his ears.

Wooseok watched in horror, hands covering his face, as the entirety of the basketball turned to look at him. The spirit squad sitting at the bottom row of the bleachers fell silent as they turned to look at him. All eyes were on him. Even the stupid meerkat mascot standing at the end of the bleachers turned to stare. All too quickly, Wooseok was filled with overwhelming dread.

The timer started when one of the Meerkats rebounded the ball, quickly running down to end the game. The buzzer was loud and piercing when it sounded throughout the gym. To Wooseok, it was so much louder.

The dread immediately filled his veins. The Meerkat victory couldn’t even register in his mind.

The crowd erupted into cheers, the spirit team immediately roaring to life at the realization that the basketball team was moving out of the quarterfinals with this victory. The lanky mascot ran out from the sidelines with a microphone and clumsily handed it to Han Seungwoo, the captain of the Meerkats, as they all gathered at the centre of the gymnasium.

Wooseok barely paid attention to the speech the captain was giving.

As the attention was moved away from him, slowly, Wooseok managed to seat himself again. He buried his face into his hands, the tips of his ears burning red with embarrassment.

There was a chance that no one would ever remember the events leading up to the victory. There was a good chance that no one would remember him after this. The victory of the basketball team might become _such_ a big deal that no one would remember the _terribly_ loud student who shouted at the basketball team. He tried to coax himself into believing that it would all be okay.

He swallowed, hard. Then, gathering his courage, Wooseok looked back up. Surely, he could live through the rest of the victory speeches before he could sneak out of the gymnasium without anyone noticing him.

When he looked up, someone else was holding the microphone to give his speech. A tall, lanky boy with a goofy smile. Wooseok recognized him as the vice-captain and starting point guard of the team, Lee Jinhyuk.

“—and we really couldn’t have won without your continued support, fellow Meerkats!” Jinhyuk was saying into the microphone. He grinned, eyes scanning up the bleachers. When he made eye contact with Jinhyuk, Wooseok swore under his breath. _Surely, he wouldn’t say anything, right?_

He was wrong.

Jinhyuk kept their eyes locked with one another as he continued to speak, “We owe a special thanks to our very passionate Meerkat over there, sitting to the left of the bleachers. Your cheering really gave us strength.”

_Fuck. That was directed right at him._

Wooseok wanted to disappear. He wanted to vanish into thin air.

He wanted to be anywhere but here.

And that single event was the puzzle piece that set something in stone for Wooseok. That was the piece which fell perfectly into place, completing the predetermined pathway for Wooseok—the predetermined pathway which declared that he would_ never_ go to another basketball game in his life.

He couldn’t.

“I really thought they would leave me alone by now,” Wooseok groaned into his pillow.

It was two weeks after the (dreaded) basketball game. Wooseok had just returned to his apartment after a day of lectures, exhausted. For the past week, it seemed as if his once-normal life had been dragged into a warped alternative universe. For the past week, he became entirely too relevant in the school and it was everything he _didn’t _want. Wooseok was comfortable being a simple, diligent student who wasn’t associated with any school organizations. It wasn’t his thing. He simply wasn’t interested. But, the school’s spirit team (officially and affectionately dubbed the _‘Meerkat Mob’_) was still following him around whenever they spotted him in the hallways of the school. _It was terrible_—in all aspects, including the fact that Wooseok hated the name of their mascot and the spirit club with every fibre in his being.

They were insistent about recruiting him into the school spirit club, despite his insistence that school spirit clubs were _voluntary_. The president of the spirit club somehow seemed to run into him at every corner of campus, to a point where Wooseok took detours to get to his lecture halls. The loud boy at the basketball quarterfinals suddenly became popular. The news about the passionate Meerkat sitting in the bleachers spread across the school. Wooseok _hated_ it. They didn’t even know his name—and he was entirely too lucky they didn’t—but they managed to find him whenever he walked down the hallways of the school.

He was only safe when he was locked in the lecture halls, copying notes. _Unfortunate, really._

“They’re never going to leave you alone,” his roommate and best friend, Kim Yohan, laughed. He was too amused by Wooseok’s suffering. The younger man glanced at Wooseok from over his shoulder as he grabbed a water bottle from the mini-fridge in Wooseok’s room. He tossed one at Wooseok, keeping one for himself. Wooseok mumbled his gratitude into the cushion. “You’re a superstar, now.”

“I don’t _want_ to be a superstar,” he argued. “Not this kind of superstar, at least.”

“It’s not your choice,” Yohan replied. “The vice-captain of the team called you out and now the whole school thinks you’re his favourite Meerkat. You’re just going to have to accept it, hyung.”

“They find me in the hallway every single day,” Wooseok whined. “There are _so_ many of them. They’re everywhere. I can’t even get to my classes safely, anymore.”

Yohan laughed, taking a swig out of his water bottle. He shrugged his shoulders, eyes twinkling with amusement. Wooseok _almost_ hates that Yohan is laughing at him.

When Yohan spoke, his tone declared a matter-of-fact. “It’s the Meerkat Mob. They’re made up of _anyone_ who has any ounce of school spirit, hyung.”

“I hate their name,” Wooseok declared. “It’s so fucking stupid. Who calls themselves the _Meerkat Mob_?”

“Us,” Yohan answered, cheekily.

Wooseok lifted his head from the pillow to shoot Yohan a deadly glare. The younger man only flashed him a timid smile in response, daring to show that he was just _slightly_ terrified of Wooseok. But, Wooseok couldn’t say anything. It wasn’t as if it was Yohan’s fault that their school had the world’s stupidest mascot.

Yohan flopped onto Wooseok’s bed, seating himself just to his left. He patted Wooseok’s shoulder gingerly, a poor attempt to be comforting, “It’ll pass eventually. They’ll eventually catch a hint if you keep saying ‘no’ to them. They can’t bother you, forever. You’re graduating in a year and a half—what do they expect? For you to become their new president?”

Wooseok groaned, dreading even the _thought_ of becoming the president of the _dumb_ school spirit club.

“Don’t worry,” Yohan assured, “It won’t ever get to that point.”

Then, in an effort to change the topic, Yohan sweetly smiled at him. Wooseok recognized that smile. It was the stupid smile that Wooseok knew meant Yohan wanted him to do something stupid with him. It was the smile Yohan puts on his face when he was too much of an idiot to do things by himself, but it was also the smile Yohan slapped onto his face because he _knew_ Wooseok couldn’t say ‘no’.

Wary, Wooseok eyed him, “Why are you smiling at me like that?”

Yohan beamed at him, “Are you doing anything next weekend?”

“Why?” Wooseok side-eyed him. There was a clear undertone of distrust in Wooseok’s voice. He could never trust Yohan when his face looked like _that._ “Where are you trying to take me?”

Yohan innocently blinked at Wooseok, as if he wasn’t guilty of trying to coax him into anything weird. Wooseok was doubtful that anything Yohan could (and would) drag him into _wouldn’t_ be strange. Simply put, it was completely on-brand for Yohan to do something ridiculous and insistently drag Wooseok into it, just for the sake of dragging him into a mess.

Kim Wooseok couldn’t trust his own best friend when he was smiling like an idiot.

“Well, you see…” he started, fingers incessantly kneading the plush material of one of Wooseok’s plush toys—a cute, orange fox. (Wooseok eyed Yohan carefully, making sure he didn’t tear the poor doll in half with his nervous fingers.) Then, continuing to speak, Yohan peered up at Wooseok, his eyes shining, “I was invited by one of my good friends to go to a party, next weekend. I was told to bring a friend, and who else would I ask other than my _best friend in the whole world_?”

“Cut your bullshit,” Wooseok told him, rolling his eyes. Yohan immediately pouted at the older man, deflating dramatically. “You just want me to take care of you when you get shitfaced.”

“Hyung!” Yohan exclaimed, his tone suddenly turned into a helpless whine. Yohan threw the plush toy at Wooseok, who caught it easily and gently placed it back down on the bed. “It’s not like that! If that were really my intent, I would just make you take care of me when I get back from the party.”

Wooseok glared at him.

Immediately dropping the cute act in favour of defending himself, Yohan raised his hands and shrugged. It was a clear gesture challenging Wooseok. _Was Yohan wrong? No, he wasn’t. _They both know it: if Yohan really wanted Wooseok to take care of him after a night of drinking too much, he would take it back to their shared apartment. And he would cling to him, _all night._

Then, helplessly, Yohan scrambled to sit close to his best friend. Wooseok spared him a glance.

Yohan snuggled up against his best friend’s side, rebooting his initial plan to be cute.

“Hyung, I just really want you to have some fun,” Yohan insisted, his hands grabbed the edge of Wooseok’s shirt. The younger man’s lips turned into a small pout, eyes wide with (false) innocence. It was all an attempt to be cute and melt Wooseok’s heart into agreeing with him. _A solid attempt. _“You’ve been stressed all week with studying for your midterms and the school spirit squad isn’t making your life any easier. You go to school and then come directly home like you’re running from monsters, except you just don’t have a life because you _can’t_. Why not just relax at a weekend party? I know the host. He’s good. I promise.”

Wooseok would never let Yohan have the satisfaction of knowing that the attempt at cuteness worked.

He would just insist that he accepted the offer to make Yohan shut up.

Yohan didn’t need to know Wooseok had a soft spot for him.

The problem with blindly trusting Yohan because he insisted that he knew the host and that the host was a good host, was that Wooseok completely underestimated Yohan’s ability to befriend people. Wooseok completely underestimated Yohan’s potential to befriend the head of Beta Theta Iota. There was nothing wrong with fraternities—and there was nothing wrong with the fact that Yohan tricked him into going to a frat party—except for the fact that Beta Theta Iota happened to host half the varsity basketball team. In other words, Wooseok was blindly being pushed right back into the hands of the damned Meerkats.

He was certain that his best friend didn’t actually plan this.

He was certain that Yohan really just wanted him to have fun at the most coveted event of the year, Beta Theta Iota’s invite-only frat party. But he was still stuck at that point in the timeline where his best friend happened to befriend Jackson Wang and _never told him about it_.

And for them to be good enough friends that Yohan got an invite to the party? It blew Wooseok’s mind. He simply couldn’t wrap his mind around the concept of it all. _When did Yohan even find the time to befriend frat boys? Where did he even meet their leader?_

But there was no turning back now.

They were already standing in front of the somewhat intimidating door of Jackson’s enormous home (which happened to make Wooseok feel as though the apartment he shared with Yohan was pathetic). He might have been in disbelief at the sight of the house, unable to believe that a student could afford the rent for a place so large, had Yohan not told him that Jackson essentially hosted the fraternity in his parents’ home. Wooseok could hardly wrap his head around the fact that a student’s parents would willingly let their child turn their home into a frat house and paste an obnoxious, metal-plated ‘ΒΘƖ’ on their front door. _He _absolutely wouldn’t.

There was a crowd of people loitering outside of the house, most of them looked already wasted and several held cigarettes to their lips. The house itself was intimidating, even without the people around. Wooseok couldn’t help but wonder how long the party had been going on for if there were already drunk people outside. It almost seemed to vibrate with the music booming out of it, but Wooseok would much rather be inside the house than stand in a cloud of smoke.

And as soon as they stepped through the door, Yohan was affectionately embraced by Jackson, greeted with a tight hug—which resembled an aggressive chest bump more than anything—and initiated to the party with a bottle of beer (“Yohan, we’re going to get you shitfaced tonight, my man!” Jackson declared, much to Wooseok’s concern). Wooseok was let through the door without much trouble, Yohan tugging on his leather sleeve with the hand that was free of alcohol.

Wooseok dreaded it already.

But Yohan got him all dressed up for the party and Yohan would never let him leave without him. And quite frankly, Wooseok didn’t have the heart to leave his best friend all alone at the party. The mindset held true even if Yohan was already eyeing their surroundings and searching for somewhere to dart, likely not willing to take Wooseok with him to whichever corner of the house he wandered to.

Yohan glanced at him, innocent smile on his lips. Wooseok shot him a glare as they found a space to stand in the crowded frat house; a corner close to the kitchen. Then, almost as if it were a peace offering, Yohan held out the can of beer to Wooseok. Wooseok directed his glare at the can. He didn’t take it.

“When were you going to tell me that it was a frat party with the entire basketball team?” Wooseok asked.

Yohan grinned, shrugging his shoulders, “You wouldn’t have come if I told you.”

“You’re terrible,” Wooseok told him. Yohan pouted, hitting Wooseok in the arm with the cold can of beer. Wooseok gingerly wiped the arm of his jacket, ridding it of the remnants of water from Yohan’s beer. “You knew I wouldn’t want to come and you still insisted that I should go.”

“You’re here, now,” Yohan said. “You should have fun, hyung. I’m sure no one is going to bother you here. Jackson knows good people and I’m pretty sure the hardcore Meerkats aren’t here.”

Wooseok narrowed his eyes at his best friend.

“I don’t know anyone but you,” Wooseok insisted, leaning against the wall. He sighed, shrugging his shoulders as if he was already giving up hope for the night. _It was Yohan’s fault for dragging his killjoy of a best friend out._ “And you’re inevitably going to leave me for the alcohol.”

“Hyung, you don’t have to say it like that,” Yohan’s lips twisted into a pout. He nudged Wooseok with his fingers, teasing and playful. “It’s a party and I’m here to party.”

Yohan playfully pressed the cold can of beer to Wooseok’s cheek, expression changing into a cheeky smile. Wooseok swatted it away from his face, a threatening hand raised as if he was going to smack Yohan. Out of habit, the younger man ducked away from his hand. He peered at him, realizing Wooseok wasn’t going to hit him in the middle of a crowded party.

“Loosen up a bit, hyung,” Yohan said, a slight whine to his tone. “You don’t have to keep pretending you’re not a fun person. I know you’re fun when you want to be. There’s nothing wrong with letting go in a room of strangers who won’t remember you when they wake up with killer hangovers.”

Yohan gestured to the crowd of bodies in front of them, half of them already gone with the alcohol. Wooseok glanced at the clock mounted on the wall—half-past nine. _Unfortunate souls who would have morning greet them with murderous beams of light._

Yohan grinned at him as he surveyed the people in front of them. The younger man threw his arm over Wooseok’s shoulders, proud of his mid-party pep talk.

“If you need a little bit of help loosening up, it doesn’t hurt to have a little bit to drink.”

And with a wink, Yohan disappeared into the crowd of people.

Wooseok sighed. _He was hopeless._

Wooseok managed to stay completely alone for a solid half-hour. After Yohan left him alone, he wandered around the edges of the room to find a safe place to stay. He stayed seated near the bar, simply watching everyone else. He couldn’t imagine himself somewhere mixed into the crowd, plainly felt as if he didn’t fit.

Yohan had him dressed up nicely, and spent an unreasonable amount of time trying to coax Wooseok into styling his hair for the first time in months. They settled on a well-fitted t-shirt and dark-washed jeans, finished with a fancy leather jacket that Wooseok rarely pulled out of his wardrobe. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but feel overdressed in his simple outfit. A solid quarter of Jackson’s partygoers were barely dressed. Wooseok’s layers almost felt like they were too much.

He nursed a can of cola in his hands as he surveyed the concerning amount of people grinding up against one another as if the frat house was a club. Somehow, he found himself impressed at the sheer talent that must have been involved in turning a house into a solid substitute for a club. A full-sized bar was typical of any fancy frat house, but Jackson somehow managed to squeeze a platform into the middle of his living room, resembling some kind of stage. Wooseok didn’t want to know what it was meant for, but he couldn’t help but think to himself: _this must be what Yohan meant when he said that the host was ‘good’._

Wooseok furrowed his brows in disdain, nose scrunching when he made eye contact with a boy who was helping his sickly friend to the washroom, likely to vomit. _Definitely not his scene._

His concentration on the partying bodies snapped at the sound of a voice from beside him.

“What are you staring at with so much disgust?”

It took a moment for him to realize that the other man was speaking to him. Wooseok turned his head.

His eyes widened and he felt a chill run down his spine when he made eye contact with the man who had spoken. Mischievous locked with his and a cheeky smile accompanied the charming gaze. Much to Wooseok’s demise, he was face-to-face with the vice-captain of the basketball team, Lee Jinhyuk.

Jinhyuk looked different from when he was on the basketball court. His hair was pushed up and out of his eyes. The bright red jersey was replaced with a well-fitting t-shirt. If Wooseok wasn’t in the middle of panicking, he might have considered that Jinhyuk looked handsome.

“Drunk people,” he answered, stiffly. He could only pray that Jinhyuk didn’t recognize him.

“Don’t like parties?” Jinhyuk asked him, leaning against the bar to move closer to Wooseok so he wouldn’t need to shout over the music. Wooseok tensed.

“They’re not my thing,” he replied, not willing to make eye contact with Jinhyuk.

Jinhyuk laughed. It was a nice sound, though barely heard over the music.

The vice-captain of the basketball team grinned at him, “I’m surprised. I would have thought that the cheerleader boy would like loud atmospheres with how loudly he yelled at the game.”

Wooseok’s blood ran cold. _Just his luck._

If Wooseok had wanted to leave the party as soon as he got there, then Jinhyuk just made it a million times worse. The idea that Jinhyuk was likely to be at the frat house was enough to scare Wooseok when he initially stepped into the house. The simple concept of Lee Jinhyuk being a member of Beta Theta Iota was already terrifying. But his physical presence in front of Wooseok was no longer a _concept_ or an _idea_. The vice-captain of the basketball team was sitting in front of Wooseok, in the flesh.

And his presence itself was already horrible, but the fact that he had the nerve to call Wooseok ‘cheerleader boy’ made Wooseok want to _die._

If Wooseok didn’t have the conscious to not leave his best friend alone, he would have simply ducked away from Lee Jinhyuk and hidden in his apartment for the rest of his life. But he couldn’t leave Yohan alone. He couldn’t risk anything happening to his best friend. Yohan’s drunken judgement was horrible.

(Or maybe Wooseok’s judgement was influenced by the way Jinhyuk’s eyes twinkled with mischief when they made eye contact. Wooseok would never toy with the possibility, though.)

He turned to Jinhyuk, eyes wide in horror. Jinhyuk laughed at the look on his face. It wasn’t meant to be mocking, but Wooseok’s ears rang with the sound of his laughter. He stared at Jinhyuk, the terror never leaving his expression. Like a deer in the headlights, Wooseok found himself frozen in place.

Jinhyuk placed a hand on the bar counter, next to Wooseok’s hand, a gesture as if he were trying to comfort him but not entirely willing to touch him. They were strangers, after all.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Jinhyuk told him, “I thought it was cute.”

Wooseok’s words were caught in his throat. He swallowed.

“T-that was so embarrassing,” he stammered.

Jinhyuk offered him a kind smile, “It was cute, cheerleader boy.”

Wooseok’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. In a quiet voice, he spoke, “Please don’t call me that. It’s very embarrassing. I would like to not be reminded of that day.”

“Then, what’s your name?”

“I’m not sure I want to tell you,” he answered, warily eyeing Jinhyuk.

Jinhyuk laughed, taking a sip from the red, plastic cup in his hands. “I _could _keep calling you strange pet names for the rest of the night if you would rather that I don’t call you by your name. Your choice.”

“Who said I want to talk to you for the rest of the night?” Wooseok challenged, a sudden surge of confidence overcoming him. As embarrassed as he was, the way Lee Jinhyuk spoke called for it.

Jinhyuk whistled, lips curved into an amused grin, “You’re feisty.”

“Feisty or not, I could just get up and run away from you, right now,” he said. “Absolutely nothing is forcing me to talk to you all night.”

The taller man rested his elbow against the bar counter and studied Wooseok with careful eyes. Strangely, Wooseok felt flustered from the way Jinhyuk’s eyes scanned up and down his body. He sat still, watching Jinhyuk’s eyes move. Their eyes locked and Jinhyuk smiled at him.

_When will this idiot stop smiling at me?_ Wooseok thought.

“Then, why don’t you, cutie?”

Wooseok flushed, looking away from Jinhyuk. He mumbled, “Why are you so annoying?”

The taller man laughed. He shrugged, “I’m trying to get to know the cute boy who has been sitting alone at the bar for the past half hour.”

“How long have you been watching me, you creep?”

Jinhyuk pursed his lips, “Hmm… well, I noticed you walk in with Yohan. And then, after he left you all alone, I stole a couple of glances here and there. I haven’t been staring at you until I sat with you.”

Wooseok ignored the last part of Jinhyuk’s statement. _He’d been staring?_

He shifted his eyes, “You know Yohan?”

“Everyone knows Yohan,” Jinhyuk told him, shrugging his shoulders. “He got our school three trophies during the Nationwide Athletics Competition. He’s practically a celebrity.”

Wooseok was so used to his best friend simply being Kim Yohan, the idiot who never turned off the lights in the rooms he left; the idiot who clung to him when he was hungry. He constantly forgot that his best friend was also _the_ Kim Yohan who broke records at their university. Their school hadn’t earned a single trophy in decades before Yohan. He really was practically a celebrity.

Running his tongue across his upper row of teeth, Wooseok glanced at Jinhyuk.

“And you’re not a celebrity?” he asked. Jinhyuk raised an eyebrow. He shrugged, “You know, being vice-captain of the basketball team and all. You’re in the semi-finals, aren’t you? Isn’t that a big deal?”

“We’re not a big deal until we win the finals,” Jinhyuk told him, grinning.

“Are you saying you won’t make it?”

Jinhyuk tilted his head, feigning thought. He hummed, “I might need a cheerleader.”

“Oh, fuck off,” Wooseok shoved him, gently. Jinhyuk laughed.

Somewhere between talking nonsense with Jinhyuk and having it develop into a real conversation, he couldn’t help but think that _maybe_ he was overthinking everything. Lee Jinhyuk was annoying, but he wasn’t the end of the world for Wooseok. He had redeeming qualities. _Just a few._

It had Wooseok reconsidering his initial judgement. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to spend the night talking to him. Maybe he could leave enough of an impression that Jinhyuk wouldn’t remember him as the loud boy at the basketball game. He could only hope that luck was on his side, this time.

“So,” Jinhyuk started, glancing at him. Jinhyuk’s eyes moved to where Wooseok was still nursing his cola in his hands, “Do you not like to drink?”

Wooseok shrugged his shoulders, “I prefer soft drinks. I’ll drink, but it’s not my favourite.”

“I can respect that,” Jinhyuk remarked. He glanced at the plastic cup in his hands, a dramatic sigh leaving his lips, “I need a break from all this alcohol, honestly. Frat kids like to drink too much.”

“Aren’t you a frat boy?” Wooseok asked, his eyebrow arched at the other man. Jinhyuk laughed, nodding his head. He shrugged his shoulders as if his status was something that simply couldn’t be changed.

“I’m taking my break today,” he replied with a small smile on his lips, swirling the cup in his hands and watching the liquid slosh inside.

Doubtful, Wooseok blinked at him, “Then, what’s that?”

Jinhyuk grinned, holding his cup out to Wooseok. A silent offering to the smaller man. Wooseok made a face as he eyed the suspicious, dark liquid in Jinhyuk’s cup. It was definitely carbonated—Wooseok could tell from the little, fizzy bubbles in the drink—but he couldn’t tell what it was.

“Try it,” Jinhyuk told him before he could ask. Wooseok eyed him, carefully.

“How can I trust you?”

“What do you think I did to it?”

“I don’t know you as a person,” Wooseok retorted.

Jinhyuk snorted. He lifted the cup to his lips and took a sip of the mysterious liquid, blinking several times before turning to look at Wooseok again. He flashed a pointed grin at the smaller man. (And suddenly, Wooseok was overwhelmed with a sudden urge to punch him in the face.)

“Look,” he said, “I’m not dead.”

“I didn’t say you were trying to kill me,” Wooseok muttered under his breath.

Jinhyuk held the cup out to him again with a snicker that proved Jinhyuk heard him.

“You don’t have to,” he said, “But, I’m also not going to tell you what it is.”

His curiosity got the better of him.

Wooseok reached his hand out to take the red, plastic cup into his hands. He tentatively turned the cup away from the spot where Jinhyuk’s lips had just touched the cup, much to Jinhyuk’s amusement. Wooseok sniffed the liquid, scrunching his nose at the strange scent. He couldn’t tell if there was alcohol involved in the drink or if there were too many open containers of alcohol in their proximity.

Jinhyuk arched a brow, interest in his eyes, “What does it smell like?”

Wooseok didn’t spare him an answer. The smaller man simply shot him a glare from over the rim of the cup. Jinhyuk chuckled and shook his head, mumbling something incoherent under his breath—suspiciously sounding like he was calling Wooseok ‘cute’. He watched him with bright eyes.

Slowly and cautiously, Wooseok took a sip of the drink.

Immediately, he gagged. He practically threw the cup back into Jinhyuk’s hands.

“What the hell is that?” he choked, eyes welling up from the way his throat burned of alcohol and carbonation, “That’s definitely alcohol! What do you _mean_ you’re taking a break?”

Jinhyuk laughed, eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Now I feel bad for tempting you into drinking it,” Jinhyuk said. Wooseok shot him a glare as if silently telling him that he _should_ feel bad. Smiling sweetly at him, Jinhyuk patted his back, gently. Somehow, it was soothing. Wooseok let it happen. Jinhyuk explained, “It’s just coke and rum, except Jackson’s hand slipped when he was pouring the rum into it.”

“It tastes like hell,” Wooseok declared.

“Is this how you react to all alcohol, cutie?”

“No,” Wooseok answered, slightly miffed. He crossed his arms over his chest, “I can take most kinds of alcohol. I just happen to dislike rum with my _soul_.”

Jinhyuk laughed. Jinhyuk’s eyes never left Wooseok’s face when he spoke to him.

“So, what do you like?”

Wooseok deflated, subconsciously pouting in defeat. He sighed, “I’ll stick to my soft drinks if I have the choice. If not, then I’m okay with tequila. Yohan gives me tequila, sometimes. It’s okay.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re really cute?”

Taken aback, Wooseok turned his head to study Jinhyuk silently. The other man was looking at him, the cheeky smile never seemed to fade from his lips. Hesitant, Wooseok pursed his lips. He tilted his head, eyebrow arched and uncertain.

“Are you flirting with me?”

“Mm,” Jinhyuk hummed, “I’ve been trying, yes.”

“You’re not doing a great job,” he replied. Jinhyuk chuckled.

“That’s unfortunate to hear,” he said. “Please, tell me how I can improve.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Wooseok hummed, thoughtfully.

“I feel like if you’re going to flirt with me,” Wooseok started, tone daring to dance with playfulness. He raised his eyes to meet with Jinhyuk’s, “You should know my name, first.”

Jinhyuk stared at him, eyes wide like a puppy waiting for something more.

Wooseok arched a brow, “So, flirty boy? Are you going to use my name or not? If not, I’m out.”

Startled, Jinhyuk blinked rapidly.

“Oh,” he said, “Oh, you’re just not going to give it to me?”

Feigning a scandalized gasp, Wooseok turned his head away. “No, I’m not going to just give you my name. I barely even know you.”

_“But—!”_

The sudden screech of a microphone cut off Jinhyuk’s protest and drew their attention away from one another. The music was dialled down and the entire room was focused on the source of the noise. They both focused their attention on the makeshift platform stage in the middle of Jackson’s living room.

The president of the frat house was standing in the middle of the platform holding the microphone to his lips, eyes bright with excitement (and maybe a little bit of intoxication). He was holding a bottle of alcohol in his other hand. He set the bottle down onto the stage beside his feet.

And as everything quieted down in the house, Wooseok took the time to search for Yohan in the crowd of sweaty bodies. He found the younger man standing near the front of the stage. Wooseok couldn’t clearly see Yohan’s face from where he was seated, but he could tell that the younger man had his fair share of drinks from the way his posture was slouched. Wooseok’s attention was drawn away from his best friend, however, when the microphone screeched again before it amplified Jackson’s raspy voice.

“It’s almost midnight! It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for!” Jackson declared into the microphone. His voice cracked with the force of the excitement in his tone.

“What’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for?” Wooseok whispered to Jinhyuk. The taller man laughed quietly, shaking his head in amusement.

“You’ll see,” he answered, simply.

“It’s time to announce the Couple of the Night!” Jackson all but shouted into the microphone. The crowd roared in response. Jinhyuk cheered from his spot beside Wooseok. Wooseok didn’t get it.

“Do couples register at the door or something?”

“Is this your first time at a Beta Theta Iota party?” Jinhyuk whispered into his ear. Wooseok nodded. Jinhyuk made a sound of understanding. “Honestly, Jackson just picks whoever the hell he wants.”

“You already know,” Jackson yelled into the microphone, pointing at the crowd of people standing around the platform. He circled the platform, urging the crowd to keep chanting. To Wooseok’s surprise, they respond passionately to Jackson’s antics, they only got louder. “_The_ Jackson Wang is always watching! And tonight, ladies and gentlemen, the chemistry has been boiling! We have pairs left and right, aching to be called up tonight. But the decision has been made!”

An almost terrifying cult-like chant of _‘who is it’_ began to echo through the house. And for the third time that night, Wooseok regretted coming to this party.

As if to soothe him, Jinhyuk’s hand came to place itself on his thigh. He squeezed him gently, flashing an apologetic smile at him for the behaviour of his frat president. A part of Wooseok couldn’t believe that Jinhyuk was genuinely sorry for it. Still, he let himself be comforted.

“Can I get a drumroll, please?” Jackson shouted.

Wooseok couldn’t imagine why he needed a drumroll when he practically had a cult chanting at him.

“Our couple of the night!” Jackson declared into the microphone. Hyped, the crowd began jumping. Wooseok’s concern only grew. Then, spotlights attached to the ceiling above Jackson began to swirl around the living room. “It’s our favourite vice-captain of the basketball team and his cute friend over by the bar!”

The flashy conclusion was accompanied by the spotlights stopping their rapid movement. The bright glare of the spotlight in his eye distracted him, temporarily blinding him (quite literally) from the situation. It took a moment for Wooseok to realize that Jinhyuk wasn’t kidding when he said that Jackson picked whoever the hell he wanted to pick. The lights were on Jinhyuk and himself. _Undoubtedly, this night couldn’t get much worse than it already was. Wooseok didn’t really want to be here in the first place._

“Come on up to the stage, guys!”

Wooseok heard the nervous laugh from Jinhyuk’s lips. Then, Jinhyuk’s long limbs were moving. He stepped off his barstool, reacting before Wooseok could. Then, he held out his hand to Wooseok as if expecting him to take it. Wooseok helplessly stared at him. His eyes moved from Jinhyuk’s hand to his face, eyes wide and nearly pleading Jinhyuk to _spare_ him.

“Just take my hand,” Jinhyuk whispered to him. There was something comforting about the way Jinhyuk’s expression changed; softening to try to reassure him. Somehow, it works. “It’s okay, everyone is wasted. No one will remember this in the morning.”

Unsure of himself but blindly trusting in Jinhyuk’s promise, Wooseok held out his hand to Jinhyuk. He couldn’t play hard to get when there was a spotlight on him, along with the eyes of everyone in the house. Jinhyuk’s hand was warm and his grip was tight when he took Wooseok’s hand. Wooseok _swears_ his heart doesn’t skip a beat but his fingers instinctively wrap around Jinhyuk’s.

Then, the taller man guided him through the crowd of sweaty bodies who were cheering for them.

Panicked eyes scanned the crowd as they passed through, Wooseok caught Yohan’s eyes in the crowd. All eyes were on them and it was easy to spot Yohan (because he was the only familiar face in the crowd). Much to Wooseok’s dismay, he wasn’t met with the reaction he was expecting. Completely unfazed by his best friend’s terror, whether in an intoxicated daze or just blinded by his natural stupidity, Yohan only gave him a cheerful thumbs-up. Even as Jinhyuk lead him through the crowd of sweaty bodies, Wooseok made a mental note to punch Yohan in the face when they got back to their apartment.

Jinhyuk stepped onto the stage, easily. He stood still, the grip on Wooseok’s hand remaining steady to brace Wooseok’s weight and help him step onto the small space of the makeshift stage. Jinhyuk made sure Wooseok’s steps were stable with a careful glance and another gentle squeeze of his hand before he centred them in the middle of the stage, presenting themselves to the fifty-something drunk university students.

Jackson slapped Jinhyuk’s ass, the excitement of seeing the vice-captain on stage almost seeming _too much_. Maybe it was simply Jackson’s personality? Wooseok didn’t know.

Regardless, it seemed Jinhyuk was used to the behaviour. All too naturally, Jinhyuk pushed his president playfully with his free hand. His other hand kept its good grip on Wooseok’s hand. And out of sheer nerves, Wooseok stuck close to the taller man, unwilling to let go of his hand when all eyes were on them.

“It’s our favourite boy Jinhyuk’s first time on this stage!” Jackson declared. The crowd hollered.

_It’s my first time, too_, Wooseok thought helplessly to himself.

And if there was anything that could make his situation worse, he had no idea what was going on. At the very least, Jinhyuk knew what was happening—or at least, that was Wooseok’s assumption based on Jinhyuk’s reassuring tone before he took his hand into his own. _This was the fraternity Jinhyuk belonged to, _Wooseok reasoned to himself, _there was no way he didn’t know what was happening._

Despite the facts, Wooseok was clueless. Jinhyuk was undoubtedly the one who was more comfortable in front of a crowd between the two of them. Jinhyuk was used to the pressure of having eyes on him. He was the vice-captain of a basketball team which made constant appearances in the national semi-finals. He had to be used to having eyes on him.

As if sensing his discomfort—or maybe he’d tensed in Jinhyuk’s grip too noticeably—Jinhyuk squeezed his hand. Wooseok snapped out of his reeling thoughts and glanced up at Jinhyuk. Jinhyuk was looking at Jackson, the nerves in his eyes when he initially took Wooseok’s hand were gone.

“And what’s your friend’s name?” Jackson asked Jinhyuk, holding the microphone up to his lips.

Jinhyuk hesitated.

Too late, Wooseok suddenly was struck with the realization that Jinhyuk couldn’t answer the question asked of him. It was simple enough, but between their lengthy conversations and playful banter, he still hadn’t told Jinhyuk his name. Jinhyuk didn’t know what his name was.

Suddenly, Wooseok felt a little guilty. Jinhyuk cleared his throat with a small smile on his lips. He raised his hand, gently moving the microphone to Wooseok’s lips.

“Do I have to?” Wooseok croaked helplessly at Jinhyuk, looking up at the taller man. Jinhyuk’s eyes were apologetic, but Jackson looked at him with bright eyes.

He nodded like an overexcited child, “What’s your name, buddy?”

Wooseok exhaled, defeated; “Wooseok. Kim Wooseok.”

He was ready to go home. He was ready to let go of Jinhyuk’s hand and step off the stage. He was ready to just grab Yohan’s hand and take them both back to their apartment. He couldn’t react in time.

“Kim Wooseok and Lee Jinhyuk!” Jackson declared, “Our couple of the night!”

Then, as if on a practised cue, the crowd of drunken partygoers began chanting again. This time, Wooseok made out the words they shouted as ‘love shot’. Wooseok couldn’t even begin to imagine how many of Jackson’s parties these students have been to for them to _know_ what to do and what to say. But he didn’t have the time to keep imagining. His train of thought focused entirely on their words. Wooseok’s blood ran cold at the sheer imagination of what it could mean.

At that moment, Jackson picked up the bottle of alcohol he’d set down earlier. Out of sight from everyone else, Jinhyuk squeezed his hand to grab his attention. Wooseok glanced at him. Jinhyuk gestured to the bottle and then to the space between themselves. Jinhyuk’s signals were vague, but the realization hit Wooseok. _They_ were supposed to drink together. That was the entire purpose of this.

When Jackson handed him a shot glass, Wooseok immediately attempted to make an excuse. He stammered incoherently to grasp at some kind of reasonable excuse, shot glass already shoved into his hands.

“I can’t drink! I have to drive.”

Jinhyuk didn’t miss a beat.

“It’s fine if you can’t drink. I’ll drink both for you,” Jinhyuk offered with a kind smile on his lips. He was already holding his own shot glass. Wooseok stared at him.

He was ready to accept the offer. Jinhyuk was an angel. But before he could speak, Yohan ruined it for him.

From the front row of the crowd, he shouted, “Shut up, hyung! We live down the street! Just do it!”

Wooseok immediately glared at his best friend. Yohan was _not_ supposed to tell anyone that they lived down the street. Truthfully, they walked to the party because Wooseok was uncertain of his willingness to lug a drunken Yohan into his car. He mentally reminded himself to knock Yohan out cold as soon as they got back to their apartment. Two hard punches should be fine enough to knock him out.

A grin cracked Jinhyuk’s expression.

“Guess you have no choice, Wooseok,” he said, raising his shot glass to Wooseok. “I tried.”

_You tried, but you’re not helping when you’re smiling like that. _Jinhyuk was lucky they weren’t close enough for Wooseok to punch him in the face.

Wooseok huffed, shaking his hand out of Jinhyuk’s grip. The taller man let go of him easily, grin never leaving his lips. He raised his arm, eyes gesturing for Wooseok to lock their arms together. Wooseok sighed as he looped his arm into Jinhyuk’s, careful to not spill. The taller man winked at him playfully and Wooseok immediately scowled at him.

But the effect of the wink was strong. Wooseok found himself unable to look Jinhyuk in the eyes.

He took his shot with his eyes squeezed shut.

Satisfied, the crowd screamed. Wooseok suddenly wanted to hide behind Jinhyuk.

Jinhyuk’s fingers caught his hand as soon as he handed Jackson the shot glasses to be put away. Wooseok was ready to run away, but Jinhyuk stopped him. The taller man pulled him back to his side.

“Now, don’t bother us,” Jinhyuk declared, pointed glare at Jackson. He turned to narrow his eyes at the crowd. “I’m going to be keeping him for the rest of the night.”

Before Wooseok could turn to ask Jinhyuk what the hell he was talking about, everything moved before him in one quick blur. Wooseok all but screamed when Jinhyuk (suddenly and all too easily) picked him up and hopped off of the stage.

After the party, despite their sudden boom of popularity for being Jackson’s chosen ‘couple of the night’, Jinhyuk doesn’t see Wooseok around campus again. They stepped back to square one, where a single meeting was followed by days of not seeing one another. It was strange how _hard_ it was to find someone on campus. But maybe a part of that was attributed to the fact that a majority of Jinhyuk’s time was spent with the basketball team. He was always in the gymnasium and he doubted Wooseok would ever willingly walk through the athletics building on his free will, again. Wooseok seemed terribly embarrassed of his infamous shouting at the quarterfinals. Jinhyuk supposed he could understand.

But even when he was trying to coincidentally find the smaller man somewhere in the hall—for no special reason aside from curiosity, he would convince himself—Jinhyuk never ran into Wooseok in the hallways. Despite Wooseok’s absence in the halls, though, there were whispers whenever he walked by other students; Jinhyuk’s name was closely tied with Wooseok’s. It seemed he unintentionally lied to Wooseok when he told him that the drunken partygoers wouldn’t remember their pairing in the morning.

He couldn’t help but wonder if the experience was the same on Wooseok’s end.

Jinhyuk leaned against the cool metal of his locker in the locker room, groaning lowly at the contact. Cold metal against his skin, hot from the exhaustion and streaks of sweat clinging to his body from running around the court—he couldn’t wait until the showers freed up and he could wash up. Practice was long and gruelling, but they had a semi-final to prepare for. He didn’t have the time to be thinking about boys but that didn’t seem to stop him from thinking about Kim Wooseok.

The last time he’d seen the boy was when he took Wooseok’s hand and pulled him away from prying eyes at the party. Despite the questionable intent of his words before he pulled him away, Jinhyuk only took Wooseok upstairs to a secluded corner of the house so the smaller man could escape his embarrassment. Wooseok punched him in the arm for making it sound suggestive, but he looked grateful to Jinhyuk. They sat together in silence after Jinhyuk apologized for his president’s irrational behaviour. Then, Wooseok was swept away by a drunken Yohan who crawled up the stairs to search for his best friend to take him home. Wooseok left him with a small smile that Jinhyuk still kept thinking about, days later.

“You look deep in thought,” came a voice from behind him. Jinhyuk snapped out of his thoughts and whirled around, meeting with his team captain’s face. His shock must have been written all over his face, but Han Seungwoo had an eyebrow arched at him; he didn’t question him.

“It’s nothing,” Jinhyuk told him. Seungwoo shrugged his shoulders and passed by Jinhyuk to get to his own locker to grab a towel. He’d just gotten out of the shower.

“The showers are free,” Seungwoo told him, gesturing behind him. “All yours, if you want.”

Jinhyuk was ready to nod his head, thank Seungwoo and escape into the showers before the junior members of the basketball team flooded into the locker room, when the loud _slam_ of the locker room doors opening echoed through the room. It caught their attention; he and Seungwoo looked to the direction of the noise.

The younger members of the basketball team finally finished their laps around the court. It was their daily, extra exercise (scaled to the number of free throws they missed during practice) and the ticket for the team co-captains to get a chance to be the first to slip into the showers. It seemed Jinhyuk was too late to take advantage of his seniority on the basketball team. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kim Mingyu duck behind the neighbouring row of lockers to try to get into the showers before anyone else, unseen. Jinhyuk wouldn’t have scolded him for it but it would have been amusing if Jinhyuk wasn’t sweating balls.

“Ay, vice-cap,” one of the juniors shouted at him, excitedly. Responding with a hum, Jinhyuk turned his head to face the team’s shooting guard, Jung Wooseok, only to feel the younger man’s large hand smack itself onto his shoulder. Jinhyuk winced.

“What is it, Wooseok?” he asked. The younger man had a shit-eating grin on his face.

“I heard you reconnected with your cute cheerleader boy,” he said, leaning towards Jinhyuk to use his shoulder as an armrest. Jinhyuk glanced down at his arm.

“His name is Wooseok,” Jinhyuk said, “Please don’t call him ‘cheerleader boy’. He doesn’t like it and it bothers him a lot when people call him that.”

“Oh my god, you _care_,” Wooseok’s lips twisted into a wicked grin. “_Hyung_, you _like_ me?”

Jinhyuk resisted the urge to punch Wooseok in the face. “Kim Wooseok, not _you_, you little shit.”

“Okay, okay,” Wooseok laughed, raising his hands in defeat. “But do you like him, then?”

Jinhyuk hesitated. _Did he like the boy he barely got to know at the party? Surely not, they barely knew one another_. But it would explain why Jinhyuk couldn’t get his mind off of him. Kim Wooseok was cute and he was undeniably interesting. It made Jinhyuk want to know more about him. It explained why Jinhyuk was so drawn to him from the moment he saw him at the party. But that didn’t mean that Jinhyuk liked him. Not in the way his shooting guard was suggesting, at least.

At that moment, Mingyu stepped out of the shower (and Jinhyuk really could kiss him for having such perfect timing). Silently, Jinhyuk shrugged his jersey off of his body and threw it at the shooting guard’s face. Wooseok caught it with a frown, scrunching his nose up at the scent of Jinhyuk’s sweat.

Jinhyuk shot him a look before he stepped into the shower.

“He’s cute. That’s it.”

Wooseok’s heavy textbooks were scattered over the table in the library, open to various pages. He’d taken up an entire table meant for a group to himself. He needed the space for all of his textbooks. If there were groups searching for a place to study in the library, then they didn’t dare to interrupt Wooseok’s focus. After all, Kim Wooseok was famous in the campus library. It paid off to constantly abandon Yohan at home to study in the library. It was quiet and Yohan couldn’t bother him. _Perfect._

Wooseok’s station was set up for efficiency. His textbooks were tabbed with sticky notes, open to key review sections for his final. His laptop was open and placed to his left, a bullet-point review for his final exam open on the screen. Almost every inch of the round table was covered with Wooseok’s plethora of study materials. Wooseok’s attention was entirely focused on the notebook in front of him, brows furrowed and eyes squinted even though he had his glasses on.

He tapped the end of his highlighter against the surface of his notebook, deep in thought.

Then, he was scribbling his notes onto a blank sheet of paper. It repeated.

A cycle of staring intently at his notebook and then scribbling on the loose sheet. It was suddenly broken.

“Hey, cheerleader boy,” came a teasing voice from above him. Then, the chair across was him was being pulled out. Lee Jinhyuk plopped himself into the seat in front of Wooseok.

Focus overriding surprise, Wooseok furrowed his brows, displeased, “I have a name.”

Jinhyuk ignored his statement and simply rested his elbow against the table, eyes focused on Wooseok. He assumed Wooseok’s simple statement was acceptance of his presence. The smaller man wasn’t complaining about him being there (yet). He perched his chin into his palm, lips turned into a pout at the smaller man. Wooseok barely spared him a glance. Jinhyuk huffed, whiney.

_“Wooseok,”_ Jinhyuk called, whine evident in his voice. Wooseok raised his eyes, staring at Jinhyuk over the rim of his glasses (and a part of Wooseok’s mind might have considered that Jinhyuk looked _cute_).

“What do you want?” he asked. Jinhyuk grinned when the attention was on him—Wooseok was quick enough to catch it—but the expression of a kicked puppy immediately returned to his face.

“Have you been avoiding me?” Jinhyuk asked, dramatically feigned hurt in his tone. Wooseok couldn’t believe this. Jinhyuk rested his other hand on the table, chin carefully rested in his palms. Wooseok thought he looked stupid. Jinhyuk pouted at him, “Or did you just not value our time together?”

Wooseok couldn’t resist the overwhelming urge to scoff at Jinhyuk’s words. He frowned, “What are you talking about? What do you mean ‘our time together’?”

If it was possible, Jinhyuk only looked more like a wounded puppy. Wooseok sucked in a breath.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“We spent valuable time together at Jackson’s party, Wooseok,” Jinhyuk said. _He was so dramatic._ “And then, I don’t see you around campus for two entire weeks.” An overdramatic sigh. Jinhyuk clutched at his chest as if he’d been shot. “What were we for those four hours at the party?”

Wooseok rolled his eyes. He highlighted a row of text in his textbook, set on ignoring Jinhyuk and his overly dramatic act. He didn’t come to the library to avoid Yohan and deal with _this._

The taller man’s pout somehow managed to win him over. Jinhyuk’s burning gaze on him proved to be too much to ignore. Sighing, Wooseok pursed his lips.

“Couple of the Night, apparently,” Wooseok replied, clicking his tongue against the roof of his own mouth. He raised a pointed eyebrow at Jinhyuk, “But if you wanted to keep in contact, then maybe you should have asked for my number. You’re a terrible flirt, though, so you didn’t. You can’t blame me.”

“You wouldn’t even give me your name,” Jinhyuk pointed out, suddenly snapping out of the feigned hurt. “Would you have given me your number, had I asked for it?”

Wooseok’s lips twisted into an amused smirk. _Jinhyuk was right_.

He shrugged his shoulders, “Probably not.”

“That’s not fair,” Jinhyuk mumbled.

Wooseok chuckled, shaking his head, “Life isn’t fair, honey.”

There was a silence between them for a moment. Wooseok took it as a chance to resume his studying. He scrolled further through the notes on his laptop before he pulled one of his textbooks to himself. He flipped the page. Jinhyuk watched him, curiously. Wooseok could feel his eyes on him the whole time.

“You’re staring,” he murmured, not looking up. If Jinhyuk heard him, he pretended not to.

Then, Jinhyuk shifted in his chair, unable to keep still and silent.

“Hey, what are you studying?” he asked, moving his chair a little closer to Wooseok. “Let me join you.”

Wooseok looked up at him, an incredulous expression drew across his face.

“You aren’t even taking this course,” Wooseok said. Jinhyuk frowned.

“How do you know?”

“A fourth-year biochemistry course, Lee Jinhyuk?” Wooseok raised a pointed brow.

Sheepish, Jinhyuk looked away from him, “Well, I didn’t know you were some kind of super-smart genius and majoring in biochemistry.”

“I’m not,” Wooseok replied. “It’s just an elective.”

“A fourth-year course as an elective?”

Wooseok shrugged, “I took all the prerequisites for some of my previous year electives. I thought it would be a waste if I didn’t just finish the course stream.”

“So,” Jinhyuk raised a brow, “A genius.”

Wooseok rolled his eyes, “I’m not a genius. I just work hard.”

“Right,” Jinhyuk hummed. He scanned Wooseok’s expression for a moment. Then, he placed a hand on top of one of the open textbooks. He glanced at Wooseok, “Teach me about it.”

Wooseok snorted, he shook his head. “I’d do it if you had a basic background in biochemistry. But the rumours say that the vice-captain of the basketball team is a sports scholarship student majoring in art.”

“Are you trying to insult me?” Jinhyuk asked, feigning hurt once more. “The rumours aren’t true. I’m majoring in business, thank you very much. I switched my major in my second year.”

Amusement flickered through Wooseok’s eyes. He hummed and nodded his head, musing, “Still don’t have a basic biochemistry background, though.”

“I just want to hang out with you,” Jinhyuk admitted, suddenly.

Taken aback by the sudden confession, Wooseok’s cheeks betrayed his otherwise conscious decision to conceal his reaction with the way they obviously flushed with colour. He averted his eyes, desperate to look at anything but Lee Jinhyuk. He cleared his throat. Twice. Wooseok ran his fingers through his own hair.

“Why are you so obsessed with me?” he asked, a futile attempt to play off his flustered state.

Jinhyuk fixed him with a steady gaze, “I’m just really interested in Kim Wooseok, the cute and quiet boy who really doesn’t like parties but doesn’t have the heart to just leave his best friend alone. I’m really just interested in who you are as a person, Wooseok.”

Wooseok’s breath caught in the back of his throat. He couldn’t explain why. He didn’t want to know why.

He cleared his throat again, nervous fingers reaching to fix his own bangs. Wooseok exhaled.

“Listen, you overgrown meerkat,” he started. Wooseok dropped his pen onto his notebook and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back in his chair. Jinhyuk’s eyes were focused on him, entirely unfazed by the nickname. Wooseok focused on his words, making sure his tone didn’t waver as he spoke. Jinhyuk’s eyes made him unreasonably nervous. “While I’m flattered that you’re trying so hard to flirt with me, or whatever, I have a final tomorrow and I really need to study for it. I’d be grateful if we could do this another time.”

A sudden smile spread across Jinhyuk’s lips. Wooseok was confused.

“Is that a promise to go on a date with me?” Jinhyuk asked.

Flustered, Wooseok flushed, “What? Where did you get that from?”

“You said we could do this another time,” Jinhyuk said, smile impossibly bright. “Doesn’t that mean you’re willing to see me again, at some point in time where it’s appropriate for me to be flirting with you?”

“You’re really flirting with me?”

“Yes,” Jinhyuk answered, grin on his lips. Wooseok couldn’t take this. This was ridiculous.

“Okay, but that doesn’t mean I want to go on a date with you,” Wooseok said. Jinhyuk pouted at him.

“But you just said that you would be grateful if we did this another time,” Jinhyuk said.

_“I—!”_

Jinhyuk ignored him. He tilted his head, frowning as if he were deep in thought. “We can have a date after your finals are over. That way, you won’t have to think about anything outside of me.”

Wooseok swallowed. _What’s with the way this flirting escalated?_

“What are you going on about?” Wooseok managed, weakly.

“Go on a date with me,” Jinhyuk said, eyes focused on Wooseok. His hands were folded in front of him on the table. His expression suddenly turned serious and it took Wooseok for a spin. “We were crowned the Couple of the Night at Jackson’s party. We should at least go on _one_ date, right?”

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m serious,” Jinhyuk replied, “Do you hate it?”

Wooseok exhaled, “Well, not really…”

Jinhyuk grinned, “Then, it’s a date.”

Wooseok decided that arguing with Jinhyuk was futile. _A single date wouldn’t hurt, right?_

“Fine,” he replied, defeated. Jinhyuk looked pleased with himself. “I’ll go on a date with you.”

“Give me your number,” Jinhyuk told him, holding out his hand for Wooseok’s phone. “Just so you can’t run away from me, again. And then, I’ll leave you alone to study.”

Wooseok pulled his cellphone from his pocket and threw the device atop one of the textbooks for Jinhyuk, face buried in his notebook. Jinhyuk chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. His eyes lingered on Wooseok for a moment, before he reached to grab Wooseok’s phone from its place on the textbook. He added his number into Wooseok’s phone and called himself.

Then, Jinhyuk left him with a wink and a blown kiss. Wooseok ignored it, resuming his studying.

Wooseok would later find out that Lee Jinhyuk named himself in Wooseok’s phone with a heart.

Wooseok would later want to kick _‘Lee Jinhyuk __♡__‘_ in the face.

“So,” Yohan plopped himself onto the sofa beside Wooseok, almost too close for comfort. Luckily, Wooseok was entirely too used to Yohan’s disregard for personal space. The younger man threw his arm over Wooseok’s shoulder and leaned against him. Sneakily, Yohan peeked at what his best friend was doing on his phone. Wooseok made a noncommittal sound to acknowledge Yohan’s presence, his eyes never left his phone. “What’s got you so glued to your phone since you got back from the library?”

Wooseok made a face at his phone, though he kept his eyes on the device. He couldn’t look at Yohan—the younger man was good at reading his face. He pursed his lips as he considered his options: he could tell Yohan about what happened in the library but he could also keep it to himself and keep Yohan in the dark about the whole situation. It wasn’t news that he wanted to spread and, while he trusted his best friend with everything he had, he couldn’t trust Yohan to shut up and let him breathe. He would never hear the end of it if he suddenly told Yohan that he was going on a date with Lee Jinhyuk.

He had a final to worry about. This definitely wasn’t the most ideal method of spending his time, just mere hours before a final examination. He was supposed to be studying for his final, not opening himself to Yohan’s inevitable harassment. But ever since he returned, he’d been staring at his phone, half-expectant and half in fear of receiving a text message from Jinhyuk. And there was no escape from Yohan, now.

It seemed Wooseok’s extended silence triggered worry in Yohan’s mind. He shifted beside Wooseok, prying eyes trying their best to catch a glimpse of Wooseok’s face.

“Has the Meerkat Mob finally destroyed my best friend’s will to live? Have they finally broken you, hyung?” Yohan asked, helplessly staring at Wooseok with wide eyes. He gently poked Wooseok’s cheek with his finger, a pout on his lips. It was almost cute but Wooseok swatted his hand away.

“No,” Wooseok replied, a dramatic sigh followed his words. “They haven’t actually come to bother me in a while. I walk a different route every day—they haven’t been able to find me.”

“So then, why are you looking like you would much rather do anything but breathe?”

Wooseok fixed Yohan with a deadly glare. The younger man grinned.

“You look very angry,” Yohan defended himself. Wooseok rolled his eyes.

“It’s just that I’ve somehow roped myself into a date with Jinhyuk,” he answered, effort loaded into making his words sound nonchalant. Yohan’s reaction destroyed his state of nonchalance immediately. The younger man’s eyes bugged out and he stared at Wooseok, amazed. _He looked stupid._

“You went to the library for three hours and you managed to get yourself a date?” he asked.

Wooseok grimaced, “He wouldn’t stop bothering me in the library. He found me and helped himself to a seat right in front of me. Wouldn’t leave me alone.”

Yohan studied Wooseok’s expression, silently.

“And so, you decided that you should go on a date with him?”

Impatient and slightly irritated, Wooseok ran his fingers through his own hair. He glowered at Yohan, threatening. Again, Yohan didn’t flinch. Wooseok considered that his threatening power might be wearing off on Yohan. The younger man continued to speak.

“I’m not against the fact that you’re going on a date with the vice-captain of the school’s basketball team,” he reasoned, his hands wildly gestured as he pieced his words together. “I entirely support it, even! You have my full, dedicated support. If you want some, then that’s probably the best _some_ you can get—”

Wooseok elbowed him. Yohan dramatically coughed.

“I’m just saying,” Yohan desperately tried to continue, “Jinhyuk’s probably a good lay—” Wooseok glared at him and Yohan quickly moved onto his point. “I’m just wondering _why_ you agreed to go on a date with him at all. I mean, if it’s not for the potential of getting laid.”

“I don’t want to get laid, Yohan.”

“You don’t?”

“What does that mean?”

Yohan flashed a sheepish smile as if embarrassed to have to admit something. He cleared his throat.

“Well, our friends have been suggesting that your unwillingness to hang out with us has something to do with the fact that you’re secretly ‘hunting for ass’,” he said, his fingers made quoting bunny ears.

Wooseok scowled at him, “Seungyoun said that, didn’t he?”

“I didn’t say it was him, did I?”

“You don’t need to try to protect him, Yohan,” Wooseok sighed, face buried into his hands. Yohan flashed an apologetic smile. “Only he would say something like that.”

It was something expected of Cho Seungyoun. He and Seungyoun had been classmates since elementary school. They weren’t always the best of friends but they ended up in the same tightly-knit group of friends when they entered the same university. In their first year, Seungyoun lived in the shared room down the hall from Wooseok’s room. He joined their friend circle when Wooseok took Yohan to a campus party—much thanks to Yohan’s insistent pleading—and Seungyoun had taken an immediate liking to Yohan.

Before Yohan chose to move out of the dorms and live with Wooseok in their shared apartment, the three were inseparable. Almost anywhere Yohan was had Seungyoun nearby. In the earlier months, Wooseok had complaints about Seungyoun’s presence in every outing he had with Yohan. Yohan was _Wooseok’s_ best friend. But things settled easily when Wooseok realized that Seungyoun didn’t have a crush on Yohan and he wasn’t trying to take him away.

Despite Seungyoun’s wild sense of humour and his constant stream of crude jokes, he was a good friend—one of Wooseok’s best friends, if anyone pushed him to admit it. He was the one person who could lighten the room in the event that there was a tense atmosphere. He had a unique charm to him that made everyone like him. Wooseok learned that trait when he watched Seungyoun easily slot himself into their circle of friends, no matter how many people were added to it. Wooseok appreciated that about Seungyoun. Undoubtedly, Seungyoun was a great friend, no matter how much he insisted that Wooseok existed to be ripped on by him.

But no matter how good of a friend he was, some secrets needed to be kept secrets and telling Cho Seungyoun was a guarantee that the secret wouldn’t stay a secret. And with all else fairly considered, Wooseok really didn’t need everyone on campus whispering about him and spreading rumours that he was ‘hunting for ass’ and that his target was Lee Jinhyuk.

“Just promise me that you won’t tell Seungyoun that I’m going on a date,” Wooseok said, exasperated at the mere thought of the rumours. “I don’t even know when the date is going to be, yet.”

“Will you tell me why you agreed to go on a date with him?” Yohan asked. Then, his eyes narrowed suspiciously, “Or was it you who suggested it in the first place, hyung?”

Wooseok shook his head, “It wasn’t me!”

“Then?”

Wooseok frowned, “He was bothering me.”

“And you decided that going on a date with him would shut him up?”

“Yohan!” Wooseok cried. Yohan crossed his arms over his chest.

“What do you mean _‘Yohan’_? I didn’t say anything wrong! You’re not giving me any details to work with here, hyung,” Yohan insisted. Wooseok pouted at him, helplessly. “Do you not want to tell me?”

“I’d rather not,” Wooseok answered, honestly.

He looked hopeful, almost as if he genuinely believed that he might get away with not reiterating his experience to his best friend. He was foolish in thinking such. Yohan clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and he shook his head at Wooseok, laughing.

“If I let you off the hook, I wouldn’t be Kim Yohan,” Yohan said. “Did you really ask him out?”

“I didn’t!” Wooseok desperately cried.

Then, finally coming to the decision that there was no way to defend himself outside of telling Yohan the story, he deflated. Wooseok dropped his phone onto the sofa, finally giving into telling Yohan. Yohan caught on quickly. His eyes brightened, focused entirely on Wooseok and ready to listen to his best friend’s (apparently unfortunate) story about earning a date with Lee Jinhyuk.

Wooseok massaged his own temples, distressed. He began his explanation, “He was bothering me in the library and I somehow managed to say something along the lines of ‘I would rather you flirt with me another time’. And he apparently took that as a suggestion that he should flirt with me on a date, instead.”

Yohan interrupted with bright, impatient eyes; “And so, you said yes?”

“Do you want to hear the story or not?” Wooseok snapped.

Yohan mimed zipping his lips shut, immediately.

Wooseok ran his fingers through his own hair with a huff. He continued, “I said no. But he insisted that we were crowned the ‘best couple’ or whatever at Jackson’s party, so _obviously,_ we have to go on at least one date. And honestly? What was I supposed to do? Say no?”

Yohan’s expression seemed to change; the corners of his lips twitched and his mouth seemed to ache to speak. Almost visibly, it seemed as though Yohan wanted to say something in response to Wooseok’s rhetorical question—a soft ‘well, yes, saying no is an option’? As soon as he considered it, however, the expression vanished from Yohan’s face. He decided against answering his best friend and risking his life at Wooseok’s hands. _It was a bad idea._ Wooseok’s eyes failed to catch the way Yohan’s lips parted to speak before he immediately shut his mouth.

In response to the story, Yohan simply flashed his best friend both thumbs up, stupid grin on his lips.

“Excellent. I support it.”

Wooseok whipped a sofa cushion at him.

The following morning, when Wooseok was shoving his apartment key into the door after returning from his final exam, Wooseok’s phone jingled and surprised him. Pausing his entry, Wooseok glanced down at his phone, his lips subconsciously curved into a small smile at the text message on his screen. _Hey, Wooseok! It’s Jinhyuk. How was your final? Also, are you free tonight?_

The notification came as a surprise and the heart strung to Jinhyuk’s name came as a secondary shock factor. He had forgotten all about Jinhyuk’s self-naming antics. He hadn’t changed the contact name—couldn’t decide if he hated it enough to do so. Wooseok figured he didn’t actually care enough to change it.

With his phone in his hand, unlocked and opened to Jinhyuk’s text message, Wooseok shook his head in disbelief as turned the key in the lock. He pushed the door of his apartment open with his hip, eyes focused on his phone as he typed up a response to Jinhyuk’s message. _It was pretty okay! I think I did pretty well, not to be overconfident, though. Thanks for asking. I should be free tonight, yeah. Why?_

“Free for what?” came a voice from over his shoulder.

Wooseok screamed. He scrambled forward and nearly dropped everything in his hands.

The loose grip on his phone came with the lost balance. The device slipped from his fingers and fell to the marble floor with a loud _smack!_ Never in his life had Wooseok felt the regret of living in an apartment complex where the floors weren’t carpet. Nothing could cushion that fall.

Petrified, he could only pray that the device didn’t crack from the drop.

“What the fuck?” he exclaimed.

He whirled around, only to meet with Seungyoun’s playful eyes. The other man was standing so close to Wooseok that if Wooseok hadn’t stepped back, their foreheads might have smacked against one another when Wooseok turned. Wooseok leaned back to distance himself.

“Sorry, did I scare you?” Seungyoun asked, eyes glinting with mischief.

Wooseok resisted the urge to punch his friend in the face. _That was an action usually reserved for Yohan._

Wooseok made a face at Seungyoun. He bent down to grab his phone from off the floor. A soft sigh of relief left his lips when he realized that the device was safe from any new scratches or cracks. He would have killed Seungyoun if anything happened to his baby. The phone was barely five months old.

“Obviously you scared me. You came out of nowhere,” he huffed. “You were trying to scare me, anyway.”

Seungyoun shrugged his shoulders, grinning. “No, actually, I was trying to find out who you were texting. Scaring you was a positive by-product.”

“Me punching you in the face is going to be a positive by-product, if you don’t shut up,” Wooseok retorted, fist threateningly raised. _Actions reserved for Yohan were easily offered to other pieces of shit._ He glared at his friend, who raised his hands in surrender.

“Why are you here, anyway?” Wooseok asked, his fist lowered back to his side.

Seungyoun flashed a cheeky smile at him. He shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged his shoulders.

“I was supposed to help Yohan with one of his projects. He asked for help because I took the course last semester. Then, I think we’re going to go out for a few drinks.” A pause. “Did you want to join us?”

Wooseok pursed his lips in thought. _Did he want to join them?_

A couple of drinks wouldn’t hurt. He just finished a final and he wouldn’t have another for a few days. It wouldn’t have any negative effects on his plans.

Then, interrupting his train of thought, the half-open door to his apartment cracked open a little wider. Yohan’s head poked out of the crack. His eyes were wide with concern. Yohan’s eyes darted around their surroundings, cautiously. He looked confused to see Wooseok’s textbooks carelessly scattered on the floor, the owner cradling his phone protectively in his hands.

“Um, Wooseok hyung? Seungyoun hyung? Why are you two just standing in the doorway?” Yohan asked. Hesitantly, he studied at the pair. He cleared his throat, “Is something wrong?”

Seungyoun didn’t miss a beat when it came to making fun of Wooseok.

“Your Wooseok hyung is chicken shit,” Seungyoun grinned. “That’s all.”

Seungyoun didn’t get a warning when Wooseok smacked his arm. Hard.

Seungyoun winced, pouting at Wooseok like a wounded puppy. The younger man raised his brow, chin tilted upward to challenge Seungyoun to _dare_ to do something about it to him. If Yohan didn’t grab their wrists, maybe Seungyoun would have punched Wooseok in the arm as revenge.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Yohan dragged them both into the apartment mumbling something under his breath about how they were too alike to children. Had Wooseok heard him, he might have punched Yohan in the shoulder and called him out for his _much-more-common_ childish behaviour. Unable to properly decipher his words, though, Wooseok refrained from scolding his best friend.

“Don’t be mean,” Yohan said, shutting the door behind them. Wooseok could have hugged him. “We have work to do. And you’re not supposed to be bullying Wooseok hyung. That’s my job.”

Wooseok immediately changed his mind about the hug. Sighing, he made a beeline to the wall where his charger was plugged, bending down to charge his phone.

“Hey, Yohan,” Seungyoun called. “Do you know who Wooseok’s texting? He’s acting suspicious.”

“I’m not acting suspicious,” Wooseok said, too quickly to actually be innocent. _Very eloquent._

Seungyoun made a face, a scrunch of his nose. He crossed his arms over his chest, completely dissatisfied with Wooseok and the questionable speed of his response. “You’re very suspicious.”

Yohan turned his head to look at Wooseok. He studied the older man’s face for a moment, brows furrowed in deep thought. Then, his eyes suddenly brightened in realization. Seungyoun’s sharp eyes caught it.

“You know!” he accused.

Wooseok stared at Yohan, hard. Yohan wasn’t allowed to tell Seungyoun about his date. He really didn’t need to know that Wooseok _somehow_ has gotten involved with Lee Jinhyuk.

“I know nothing,” Yohan squeaked, rushing into the kitchen. “I’ll get us some drinks!”

“He’s suspicious, too,” Seungyoun remarked. Wooseok rolled his eyes.

“You’re not some kind of detective, Seungyoun,” he told him, flopping onto the sofa. He grabbed a cushion, hugging it. “Nothing’s going on. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Seungyoun faked a dramatic sniff.

“You two are always hiding things from me!” he cried, faking tears.

Wooseok threw a cushion at him. Seungyoun immediately fell over, pretending the impact hurt a lot more than it actually did. He was in the middle of beginning a dramatic soliloquy about how his precious friends betrayed him when Yohan suddenly appeared in the archway between the kitchen and the living room. He was carrying a couple of cans of soda in his hands. Yohan interrupted Seungyoun’s dramatic act.

“What were you guys talking about at the door?” he asked, curiously. He placed the cans onto the coffee table before turning to head back into the kitchen for the trays of ice.

Seungyoun immediately recovered from his dying speech.

“Oh, I was just wondering if Wooseok wanted to come with us to the bar, after this,” Seungyoun called after Yohan, shrugging his shoulders.

There was a buzzing sound from the floor; Wooseok’s phone. He ignored it.

“To the bar? With us? Wooseok hyung can’t come,” Yohan said, suddenly reappearing from the kitchen.

Wooseok whirled around from his spot on the sofa. He frowned.

“Why not?”

“You have plans, hyung,” Yohan told him, brows knitted in concentration as he cracked the trays of ice to loosen the cubes from their plastic prison. Wooseok furrowed his brows. Yohan unplugged Wooseok’s phone from where it was charging and threw it into his lap. “You can’t come with us.”

Wooseok looked down at his phone. A new message from Jinhyuk blinked up at him.

_Let’s meet up at that popular diner downtown for our date at seven, then?_

Wooseok sighed. He let his phone fall into his lap and leaned his head back against the sofa. “I’m not going.”

“You’re not going with _us_,” Yohan corrected him, dropping three cubes of ice into each cup. He opened a can, sliding it over to Seungyoun, nonchalantly. He fixed Wooseok with a stern look, “You’re going to go on your date. You must.”

There wasn’t a warning before Cho Seungyoun flew across the living room to wrap around Wooseok like some kind of leech. Seungyoun clung to him, pterodactyl screams and all, demanding details. And Wooseok did his best to hold onto his own sanity, internally willing his own death to come quickly.

Wooseok pulled up in the parking lot of the diner exactly five minutes before seven. He kept the car on. The lights on his dashboard gleamed at him as he stared down at his phone, waiting for the moment the clock ticked down to seven. After Seungyoun and Yohan forcefully pushed him out of their plans, he agreed to meet with Jinhyuk at the diner for their date. They promised to meet at seven and Wooseok wasn’t about to arrive earlier. He didn’t need Jinhyuk thinking that he was more than a _little_ interested.

Wooseok drummed his fingertips against the steering wheel. He was parked by the side of the building, avoiding the front of the diner where lights shone through his windshield. He was almost certain that Jinhyuk wouldn’t even notice him, whenever the other man got to the diner.

He leaned back in the seat, exhaling a puff of air. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d actually gone on a date with anyone. Truthfully, none of his past dates had been very memorable (though, Yohan might remember all of his past dates for the sake of making fun of him).

Sitting in his car, Wooseok pondered the different outcomes of the date with Jinhyuk. It could be terribly disappointing and he wouldn’t ever feel obligated to go on another date with Jinhyuk. It could also be a perfect neutral where they both mutually decided that it would be better if no future dates were planned between them. There was also the chance that it could also be an amazing time; a good enough date for him to hope that Jinhyuk might ask him on another. It was unlikely. Wooseok couldn’t see it happening. His past dates have all been disappointments or simply not worth remembering. Wooseok couldn’t really imagine the date with Jinhyuk going any other way. Yohan described him as difficult for a good reason.

But whether or not he had high expectations for the date with Jinhyuk, Yohan (with a little bit of help from Seungyoun) certainly dressed him well for the occasion. His friends insisted that their homework could wait because getting Wooseok ready for a date was apparently more important than their grades. Regardless of any other factors, Jinhyuk included, getting ready for the date was _chaotic_.

Yohan picked out a simple t-shirt for him and tucked it into his dark, ripped jeans. Then, Seungyoun forced himself into his lap to hold him down while Yohan styled his hair and dabbed tint onto his lips (“I can do it myself, you know?” Wooseok complained, trying to push a stubborn Seungyoun off his lap; he didn’t budge). They urged him to wear his expensive combat boots with wide, pleading eyes. Yohan had run off with his glasses and locked them in his own closet, only to present Wooseok with his box of contact lenses (as if his date had yet to see him without his glasses). And if his friends weren’t annoying enough, they insisted he was missing an important detail to his look before magically conjuring a thin choker from behind Seungyoun’s back (“Just a tasteful bit of ho completes the look,” Seungyoun declared, kissing the tips of his own fingertips in satisfaction when they finally managed to wrestle Wooseok down onto the bed to put the choker on him).

Wooseok’s fingers absently played with the choker, lips pursed in thought. He considered taking it off. His friends wouldn’t have a clue if he just took it off. They weren’t following him around and he could always put it back on before he came back to the apartment. Seungyoun and Yohan wouldn’t know any better.

His phone suddenly buzzed. Yohan. _Don’t you dare try to take off the choker, hyung!_

Spiteful, Wooseok tugged at the material, ready to rip it off of his neck.

His phone buzzed again. Jinhyuk. _Hey, I’m here. I’ll wait for you outside?_

Wooseok sighed. His hand dropped from his neck and he pulled the keys from the ignition. He stepped out of the car and made his way to the front of the diner. _No time to spite Yohan,_ he supposed.

Jinhyuk was impossible to miss when he turned the corner of the building. He was the only person standing outside the diner. Jinhyuk was leaning against one of the large glass walls of the diner, a hand slipped into the pocket of his jeans and his eyes focused on his phone. The light from inside the building cast a glow against Jinhyuk’s silhouette. He looked different from when Wooseok saw him on the basketball court; his hair was styled and pushed up from his forehead. It reminded Wooseok of when they met at Jackson’s party. Wooseok subconsciously took a moment to study Jinhyuk’s appearance; dark jeans and a simple, white shirt layered underneath a blue flannel rolled up to his elbows. Wooseok couldn’t help but notice that, to a degree, they matched.

Before Jinhyuk could notice him staring, Wooseok stepped in front of his date with his fingers linked behind his back, shyly. Strangely, being alone with Jinhyuk in this kind of atmosphere was somewhat nerve-wracking. He couldn’t pinpoint the reason why. Wooseok took a breath, gathering his nerves before he made his presence known to Jinhyuk.

“Jinhyuk,” he greeted the taller man with a small smile on his lips, “Hey.”

Jinhyuk immediately looked up from his phone, lips curving into a smile. “Hey, you,” he returned with a playful lilt in his tone, his dark eyes moved to briefly look Wooseok up and down. “You look good.”

“Obviously I look good,” Wooseok murmured, his eyes avoided Jinhyuk’s. He got compliments often but for some strange reason, it felt a little different when he was being complimented by Jinhyuk. Wooseok refused to think more of it. He glanced at Jinhyuk, whose eyes were still on him.

“This is cute,” Jinhyuk remarked, gesturing vaguely to his own neck with his fingers. Wooseok’s fingers rose to his own throat, subconsciously. It struck him a little late—_ah, the choker._

“… thanks,” he replied. Jinhyuk nodded his head, eyes bright. Feeling a little bit awkward for not saying anything more, Wooseok cleared his throat. His eyes darted up Jinhyuk’s figure, “You look nice, too.”

Jinhyuk beamed, “Thanks, cutie.”

The taller man tilted his head, gesturing into the diner. “Shall we go?”

Wooseok inhaled a deep breath, shaking his sudden nerves away.

“Yes,” he replied, nodding his head with finality. “Let’s do this.”

Jinhyuk laughed, amusement dancing in his eyes. The older man threw his arm over Wooseok’s shoulder, comfortably. Wooseok didn’t push him off. “Is this date some kind of challenge you’re trying to tackle?”

Wooseok shifted his eyes, “Maybe.”

“Relax,” Jinhyuk told him with a small, comforting smile on his lips. His hand gently squeezed Wooseok’s shoulder; a comforting gesture. “It’s a date, but I want you to be comfortable. Just be you. I like you.”

Wooseok nudged Jinhyuk with his shoulder, brows furrowed. His cheeks turned a light pink. Jinhyuk’s words immediately pushed him into a flustered state of mind. Wooseok avoided his eyes completely as he made a beeline to the entrance of the diner. Jinhyuk’s long legs caught up with him, easily, the sound of his breathy laughter trailing behind Wooseok.

“Hey, don’t run away!”

They found a booth in the corner of the small diner and their server, a tall, teenage girl with round eyes, offered them an apologetic smile and a fountain of apologies for the size of the booth. It was rather small for someone as tall as Jinhyuk, but it was also the only remaining seat. Their server looked to be on the verge of tears, in fear that Jinhyuk couldn’t fit into the booth. Jinhyuk flashed her a polite smile, assuring her that it was fine. The girl, Wonyoung (as Wooseok read from the nametag pinned to her shirt), was quick to try to confirm Jinhyuk’s certainty with a gleam of relief in her eyes. Wooseok couldn’t help but smile. It looked funny—almost like a father trying to reassure his daughter that her mistake was minor and she needn’t worry. Wooseok felt a blossoming of something in his chest; _warm_.

Jinhyuk let Wooseok have the honour of choosing his side of the booth. Wooseok made his decision quickly. He slipped into the booth, purposefully choosing the side that would have his back turned to the rest of the diner. If Jinhyuk noticed his caution, he didn’t say anything about it at all. He simply sat across from Wooseok, serene smile still on his lips. 

Wonyoung ran off as soon as they were seated, promising to promptly return with their menus.

“I didn’t know you were good with kids,” Wooseok remarked. Jinhyuk glanced after Wonyoung with a small smile on his lips. He shrugged his shoulders. 

“I have a little sister,” he replied, simply. “I think it comes naturally.”

There was that sudden flutter of warmth in Wooseok’s chest again. He tore his eyes away from Jinhyuk’s, unable to keep eye contact with the fondness blooming in his chest.

In a desperate effort to distract himself, Wooseok surveyed their surroundings, again. To say that the diner was popular was an understatement. Couples were scattered around the diner. Wooseok swore he recognized some of his classmates when they walked in but he avoided their eyes. He didn’t need to be caught on a date with the vice-captain of the basketball team by his classmates. The reputation they earned from Jackson’s party was enough for Wooseok.

Jinhyuk noticed Wooseok’s busy eyes. He gently placed a hand on top of Wooseok’s hand to bring his attention to himself. Wooseok turned his head back to Jinhyuk.

“Is it too crowded here for you?” Jinhyuk asked, concern in his tone. Wooseok shook his head.

“It’s fine,” he replied. He brushed his fringe out of his eyes with his fingers and flashed Jinhyuk a smile, “We’re not staying here all night, are we?”

Jinhyuk immediately mirrored his smile, the concern in his tone vanishing, a glint of excitement in his eyes. “You’re willing to spend the whole night with me this time?”

Wooseok rolled his eyes at Jinhyuk, “You’re not taking me home.”

“Okay, okay,” Jinhyuk laughed, hands raised in defeat. 

At that moment, Wonyoung returned to them with a bright smile and brought them their menus. She left the pair with a notepad and a pen, rushing back into the kitchen when her name was called. 

It was quiet as they looked through their menus. 

“Did you drive here?” Jinhyuk asked. His eyes were on the set of keys Wooseok left on the table.

Wooseok nodded.

“Yeah,” he answered. “I live pretty far from downtown. I live down the street from your frat president, remember?” He glanced up. “Why do you sound so surprised? Did you walk?” 

Jinhyuk flushed, “I was in the area.”

Amusement flickered in Wooseok’s eyes but he let the conversation end without another word. 

He closed the menu and grabbed the notepad Wonyoung left behind. He tapped the pen against the pad, lips pursed; “I want a milkshake.”

“That’s it?”

“Well, what are you getting?”

“Are you already planning to steal my fries?”

“I wasn’t,” Wooseok replied, innocently. He rested his chin in his palm, eyes twinkling, “I didn’t even assume that you were going to be getting fries. But that sounds like an invitation.”

Jinhyuk’s lips quirked into a small smile.

“I’ll let you,” he said. “You’re cute.”

Wooseok rolled his eyes, “How many times are you going to call me cute tonight?”

“Depends on how many times you look at me with those pretty eyes of yours.”

Wooseok feigned a gagging motion.

“I’m already on a date with you and you’re still flirting?”

“I need to try to secure a second date somehow, right?”

“We just got here and you’re already thinking about a second date?”

Jinhyuk beamed, “I’d be stupid to let someone so pretty go after one date.”

“_Ooh_, but what if I’m secretly some kind of demon?” Wooseok raised both of his hands, fingers curled in mock claws. Jinhyuk laughed, his eyes twinkling with amusement. 

Jinhyuk didn’t get to reply before Wonyoung was back at their table, bright eyes anticipating the returned notepad with their orders. She clasped her hands together, overexcited. Wonyoung collected their orders, notepad back in her hands noted with Wooseok’s milkshake and Jinhyuk’s surprisingly large order of a burger, some chicken strips, fries and a soda (all which Wonyoung scribbled down with focused nods). The girl skipped back to the kitchen, this time with a promise to return with their food.

“She’s so cute,” Wooseok chuckled, watching her run off to the kitchen.

“You’re cuter.”

“Oh, cut that out, will you?”

Jinhyuk grinned, “You want me to stop flirting?”

“I want you to calm down and just be yourself, Jinhyuk,” Wooseok replied. Jinhyuk ran his fingers through his hair, a sheepish smile on his lips. Wooseok arched a curious eyebrow at him.

“I’m a little nervous if I’m honest,” Jinhyuk admitted, twiddling his thumbs. “I wasn’t really expecting you to agree to come out today. I texted you on a whim this morning. I didn’t even think you’d reply!”

“What do you take me for?”

“A really good-looking guy who has a lot of better things to do with his time than text me.”

“You’re way too honest,” Wooseok chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. “Jinhyuk, I’m not just going to ignore you. Contrary to what you might think, I enjoy your company when I’m not trying to study for a final exam.”

Jinhyuk looked relieved. 

“So, what you’re saying is… if nothing comes out of this date, we can still be friends?”

“Did you think I hated you?”

“Well,” Jinhyuk started, hesitant. “There was this one time at the varsity athlete meeting where Yohan casually mentioned to Mingyu that he had a very angry best friend who didn’t like very many people, but he was a lucky one. After I saw you two together at the party, I figured he was talking about you.” Jinhyuk lowered his voice, almost as if he were afraid Wooseok would knock him out cold if he really heard him, “You don’t look the happiest when you meet new people. It’s not hard to think you hate everything that can breathe.”

Wooseok narrowed his eyes. He grumbled under his breath, “I’m going to kill Yohan. I can’t believe he thinks I actually like his dumb ass.”

Jinhyuk laughed, the sound coming out as bright and hearty.

At that moment, as if the universe was willing Wooseok to refrain from having violent thoughts about his best friend, Wonyoung reappeared with a tray in her hands. She beamed at them, placing Wooseok’s milkshake onto the table. She skipped off again, cheerful smile blazing brighter than the sun, with a promise to return with Jinhyuk’s order.

Wooseok’s phone buzzed. He reached for it subconsciously. Jinhyuk’s eyes followed Wooseok’s movement as he reached for his phone before he glanced at Wooseok’s face. He wasn’t looking at him. With a mischievous smile and long, sneaky fingers, Jinhyuk reached for Wooseok’s milkshake. He took a sip from one of the two straws, cheeky. 

Wooseok noticed. Too quickly.

“Hey,” Wooseok reached for his drink, lips pursed into a pout, “Get your own.”

Jinhyuk grinned, “I don’t want it if it’s not yours, though.”

Wooseok rolled his eyes, huffing. He ignored the way his heart skipped a beat. 

“You’re so annoying.”

They left the diner with their fingers intertwined and their cheeks flushed with colour.

Their server, Wonyoung, had returned to their table with their bill in her hands and a bright smile on her lips. Complete with shy giggles and childish mirth, she’d told them that they made a lovely couple and that she hoped they held hands a lot, now and in the future. It was an innocent remark in itself, an innocently childish wish for a healthy relationship, but the simple misunderstanding that they were an actual couple sent Wooseok spiralling into a flustered shock.

He rose from his seat in a panic and nearly tripped over his feet trying to explain to Wonyoung that they weren’t actually a couple. They were simply on a date. That didn’t mean they were dating. It wasn’t like that. But Jinhyuk shut him up before he could crush the poor girl’s dreams with his honesty. He cleared his throat and handed Wonyoung his credit card. Stunned silent, Wooseok watched as Jinhyuk covered the bill and grabbed his hand, pulling the pair out of the diner with a polite smile to their server (and an unnecessary promise to her that he would keep making Wooseok happy).

“You can let go of my hand, now,” Wooseok said, quietly. They were in the parking lot, far enough from the diner for Wonyoung to not see them. They’d been holding hands for much longer than Wooseok could mentally process and handle. Jinhyuk looked back at him, surprised.

“Oh,” he replied. He loosened his grip on Wooseok’s hand, letting the smaller man shove his own hand back into his pocket. Jinhyuk flashed a shy smile, “Sorry, I didn’t realize I was still holding it.”

There was silence between them.

“You’re okay with people just thinking that we’re together?”

Jinhyuk shrugged his shoulders, nonchalant. “Right now, we are. We’re on a date. We’re not dating but it doesn’t hurt anyone to let her think that we are.”

“People shouldn’t get involved in our affairs,” Wooseok huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Wooseok,” Jinhyuk said, looking at him quietly. “You would’ve crushed her dreams.”

Deflating, Wooseok turned his head away, breaking eye contact with Jinhyuk. There was something else glimmering in Jinhyuk’s eyes, but Wooseok couldn’t put a name to it—couldn’t recognize it—so he simply ignored it. He considered Jinhyuk’s words for a moment. It really would have been an asshole move to crush Wonyoung’s hopes and dreams; she was just a girl who wanted to wish them a happy relationship. And whether it existed or not, she looked so happy and there wasn’t a chance they would meet her again. Surely, it didn’t hurt anyone at all.

Another silence cast over them.

Wooseok cleared his throat, “So, where are you taking me, now?”

The slight tension in the air almost immediately vanished.

Jinhyuk scratched the back of his neck.

“I really don’t know what you like,” he stated, “I didn’t plan very much for our date, but I figured it would be a safe bet if we went to the night market? It’s close by. We don’t have to drive. We could get some food and then just hang out and talk or something?”

“We just ate,” Wooseok raised his brow. Flustered, Jinhyuk glanced away.

“Well—we can do something else, too,” he stammered. Then, under his breath, he murmured quietly hoping Wooseok wouldn’t hear, _“But all you did was steal a couple of fries from me… that’s hardly eating.”_

Wooseok chuckled, endearment suddenly striking him in the form of Jinhyuk’s shy expression.

Wooseok turned on his heel, humming. He clasped his hands behind his back.

“No,” he replied, “I think I like that idea. Let’s go.”

Their walk through the nearby night market took centuries.

It was crowded with people and Jinhyuk kept his hand entwined with Wooseok. He was insistent that he didn’t want to lose him in the crowd (“There are a lot of people and I don’t want to lose sight of you,” Jinhyuk said, his hand already interlocking their fingers). Wooseok would have been offended, but Jinhyuk’s hand felt warm against his and he couldn’t argue with it. He let the taller man drag him around the booths. He spent his time watching as the glow of the lanterns highlighted different points of Jinhyuk’s face, silently admiring. He wouldn’t admit it aloud but no one was watching him and Jinhyuk’s eyes were busy searching their surroundings.

Somewhere between accepting the date with Jinhyuk and simply spending time alone with him, a part of Wooseok developed an endearment for the taller man. There was something about Jinhyuk that made it too easy to just find yourself enthralled by every part of him. Wooseok couldn’t bring himself to keep trying to play push-and-pull with him. It wasn’t admitting to anything—he didn’t think there was anything beyond a slight curiosity when his eyes lingered on Jinhyuk for a little bit too long.

Wooseok learned a lot about Jinhyuk for their first few hours of a first date. He had a little sister, he was good with kids and never wanted to crush their dreams, he was really good at hiding how nervous he was (and is a terrible, shameless flirt), and he ate a lot. _He really ate a lot._

Jinhyuk had a surprising appetite. Curiosity and interest brought him to almost every street food stand set up along the street. Wooseok laughed to himself every time Jinhyuk sheepishly tugged him in a certain direction and made a beeline towards another stand that was serving food. He was undeniably excited to be exploring the night market and Wooseok simply watched—and took small bites, whenever Jinhyuk made sure to feed Wooseok bites of his snacks (“It’s so good, you’re going to be so upset that you missed out if you don’t try it,” Jinhyuk told him, holding a skewer of rice cakes to his lips).

Following Jinhyuk around with their fingers entwined, Wooseok couldn’t help but notice the blooming warmth in his chest growing with every moment. It was strange. None of his previous dates ever had him feeling like this. And along with that thought came the brief whisper in his mind; _‘you’ve really underestimated Lee Jinhyuk, Wooseok. You absolute idiot.’_

But there was always the chance that it was all a fluke. Sudden feelings tended to come with moments which rarely graced people. First dates were uncommon for Wooseok. It shouldn’t be so surprising.

“Hey,” Jinhyuk’s voice snapped Wooseok out of his thoughts. Wooseok was almost prepared to open his mouth for another snack to be shoved into his mouth before he nearly stumbled into Jinhyuk’s back. The taller man stopped walking so suddenly.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Are you tired?” The question was sudden. Wooseok blinked.

“No, not really,” he answered, uncertain. “Why?”

Jinhyuk flashed him a small smile, “I was wondering if you wanted to sit down and talk instead. I feel like I’ve been dragging you around for a while.”

“It’s fine,” he said. “You’re enjoying yourself and that’s good enough for me.”

Jinhyuk turned, eyes narrowing, “But are you enjoying yourself?”

“Yes,” he answered, nodding his head, “You look very happy. It’s nice.”

Suspicious of his words, Jinhyuk leaned closer to examine Wooseok’s face. “Are you sure?”

“Are you trying to hint to me that you’re tired and would like to sit down?”

Jinhyuk flushed, “No! I was just afraid I was boring you to death.”

“I’m having fun, Jinhyuk,” Wooseok reassured him. “I really am. You don’t have to be so worried.”

The expression on Jinhyuk’s face didn’t change. Wooseok sighed.

“Look,” he said, his hand squeezed Jinhyuk’s gently, “I’m getting a lot of free food and I’m spending some quality time with someone I don’t hate. I promise you that I’m having a good time.”

That seemed to settle Jinhyuk’s sudden worries. The lines between his brows smoothed out and the familiar smile returned to his lips. The older man scratched the back of his neck. Wooseok arched a brow at him, curiously. Jinhyuk shrugged, his smile suddenly turning shy. He turned back to face forward, hand tightly holding onto Wooseok. Then, he was pulling Wooseok to another unknown destination.

The little warmth in Wooseok’s chest spread. _Jinhyuk was cute._

To Wooseok’s surprise, Jinhyuk led them to a nearby bench. A small streetlight lit the space around the bench and it was further from the crowd of people walking around the night market. It was a quiet spot for some rest and some quiet conversation. There was a short, awkward silence between them when Jinhyuk stopped walking this time. Wooseok didn’t need to look at Jinhyuk to know he was fidgeting and nervous about his sudden decision; he could feel the way Jinhyuk’s hand seemed to randomly loosen and tighten its grip on his own. He looked at him anyway.

“You could have just told me that you wanted to talk,” Wooseok spoke softly. Jinhyuk sighed.

“I just feel like all we’ve been doing is eating and I haven’t learned anything about you,” he admitted.

He let go of Wooseok’s hand and seated himself on the bench. Before Wooseok could even think of missing the feeling of Jinhyuk’s hands locked with his, the taller man patted the spot next to him. An invitation to have Wooseok to sit down next to him. Wooseok took it.

Wooseok laughed, “You really could have asked me anything you wanted.”

“You can’t blame me for being so nervous about asking you questions, Wooseok,” Jinhyuk insisted, “You wouldn’t tell me your name when we met at Jackson’s party.”

A coy smile danced across Wooseok’s lips.

“That was when you were trying to flirt with me at a party when I literally would have been okay with seeing anyone but you,” he teased. The coy smile turned softer, “We’re on a date, now. You have permission to ask me anything you want to know about me. And I reserve the right to not answer you if you’re thinking about asking me anything weird.”

Jinhyuk exhaled. He murmured, “I’m not going to ask you anything weird.”

“Then you can ask me anything you want,” Wooseok concluded with a cheeky grin. “I’ve never been on a date with a frat boy before. I’m nervous too, you know?”

“You haven’t?” Jinhyuk looked conflicted at his own inquiry. “I mean, you are?”

Wooseok tilted his head, “Which one do you want to know?”

“Both, honestly.”

“No, I’ve never been on a date with a frat boy. I’ve never been interested,” he replied. Jinhyuk raised an eyebrow almost as if wanting to say something. Wooseok could assume his question. He quickly continued to speak to avoid having to answer the question. “And yes, I’m nervous. I think everyone is a little bit nervous on a first date, right?”

This time, the sigh which left Jinhyuk’s lips was one of relief. He folded his hands into his lap.

“Yeah, I guess,” he replied.

“When was the last time you went on a date?” Wooseok asked, curiously. Jinhyuk had to think about it.

“Um,” he started, tilting his head. He absently counted back on his fingers (and Wooseok’s lips curved into an intrigued smile; cute). “I think it has been several months. Maybe last year?”

He glanced at Wooseok, “What about you?”

“Yohan set me up on a blind date in my second year,” Wooseok replied. “I think that was the last date I went on. And yes, it was horrible, if you were curious.”

“That’s like, almost three years ago, right?”

Wooseok nodded, “I’ve been single and not too willing to mingle for quite a while.”

“I’m flattered that you were willing to go on a date with me.”

“You should be.”

Jinhyuk grinned, “You’re really so cute.”

“Please.”

“Please what?” Jinhyuk asked, chuckling. Mischief twinkled in his eyes. Then, Jinhyuk raised the tone of his voice in a teasingly mocking manner, _“Please, Jinhyuk, keep calling me cute! I love it.”_

Wooseok punched him in the arm.

“I do _not _sound like that.”

“Yeah,” Jinhyuk agreed. “You don’t.”

Wooseok shook his head in disbelief, but he couldn’t help the way a small smile graced his lips. There was really something so endearing about Jinhyuk. More than anything, he knew he wouldn’t associate his urge to smile whenever Jinhyuk spoke to a more-than-platonic attraction, but he acknowledged the fact that Jinhyuk was cute._ Really cute._

Too busy with his mental denial, Wooseok didn’t notice the way Jinhyuk suddenly went silent.

In the few hours Wooseok had spent with Jinhyuk, he’d learned that silences were still comfortable when it was with Jinhyuk. It felt natural even if they were just sitting there and staring at one another. They weren’t awkward—there wasn’t a need to fill up every space with words. This silence was different, though. This silence felt odd.

Wooseok turned his head to look at the taller man.

Jinhyuk was looking down at his hands, fidgeting with his fingers. His brows were knit in thought and he was biting down on his lower lip, concentrated. Wooseok couldn’t pinpoint what sent Jinhyuk into such deep thought. _Was it something he said? Surely, Jinhyuk wasn’t thinking of a better way to imitate him, right?_ He cleared his throat. There was no reaction from Jinhyuk.

Cautious, Wooseok waved his hand in front of Jinhyuk’s face.

That elicited a reaction, a soft gasp of surprise. Jinhyuk jumped, Wooseok’s slender fingers suddenly appearing in his line of sight suddenly shocking him out of his train of thought.

“You look either very nervous or very deep in thought,” Wooseok pointed out. The younger man furrowed his brows, slightly concerned. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, hey, I think I left my wallet back at the rice cake stall,” Jinhyuk murmured. He glanced at Wooseok. “I’m going to go back and grab it, okay? Stay here. Don’t run off.”

“Yeah, of course,” Wooseok nodded his head. “I’m not going to abandon you, silly. I think I should be a little bit more worried about you abandoning me on this bench here.”

Jinhyuk flashed a small smile, “I’ll be right back, okay?”

He could have sworn that he saw Jinhyuk’s wallet in his back pocket when the older man ran off into the crowd of people but he didn’t question it. Jinhyuk’s long legs took him out of Wooseok’s line of sight all too quickly. Wooseok occupied himself with his cellphone.

There were impatient texts from his friends waiting for his response. It was too typical of his friends to try to get details from him when he was on a date. The group chat he had with Seungyoun and Yohan had blown up in his short absence. Wooseok stared at the orange notification bubble for a moment, considering checking the messages waiting for him; _158 was a tempting number of messages._

He ultimately decided against it. His friends wouldn’t leave him alone if they saw the read receipts pop up without a message from Wooseok. He didn’t need them to be more annoying than they were.

Swiping around mindlessly on his phone, and actively avoiding the group chat, eventually lead to playing games. Wooseok immersed himself into pairing his units together for battle as he waited for Jinhyuk to return. Occupied with tapping away at a game on his phone, he didn’t notice Jinhyuk coming back to him. The taller man rounded the bench and stood behind Wooseok.

In an attempt to surprise him, Jinhyuk sneakily clasped his hands over Wooseok’s eyes. He leaned down to whisper in his ear. “Guess who?”

Wooseok dropped his phone into his lap. He pried Jinhyuk’s hands off of himself slowly. Even after he managed to get his vision back, Wooseok held onto Jinhyuk’s hands. He tilted his head back to lean against the back of the bench to look up at Jinhyuk.

“I’ll kill you the next time you try that.”

The older man grinned, “Really?”

“Yes, really.”

Jinhyuk didn’t reply. He hopped over the back of the bench and seated himself beside Wooseok, closer than he was before he left. There was that dumb smile on his lips again—the one that strangely always had warmth spreading in Wooseok’s chest. Wooseok tilted his head at him, curiously.

“Did you find your wallet?”

“Yeah, I did,” he replied, flashing a grin. Jinhyuk pulled his wallet out of his pocket to show Wooseok and the younger man mentally noted his observations. _That was definitely what he saw in Jinhyuk’s pocket when he ran off._

He brushed it off. There was something Jinhyuk wasn’t telling him but he wasn’t about to pry. Wooseok was set on changing the topic if only to bring his mind away from the thought that Jinhyuk was hiding something from him. He swore to himself that it didn’t bother him.

“Hey,” Wooseok called. “I’ve been curious about something.”

Jinhyuk hummed, turning his head to look at him. His hand found Wooseok’s and he absently played with his fingers. Wooseok let him. “What is it?”

“You know how you recognized me at Jackson’s party?” Wooseok started. He vaguely gestured with his hands as he spoke, “It was like, a week after the basketball game. How did you remember who I was? I didn’t even think you saw my face when you called me out.”

“I don’t know if you know it, Wooseok, but you have an unforgettable face,” Jinhyuk replied, simply. He shrugged his shoulders a little, “Everyone was looking at you. I looked, too.”

“An unforgettable face?”

“Yeah, you’re really pretty,” he nodded his head. “Like, _really_ good-looking. I’m pretty several other people had a moment of experiencing love at first sight when they looked at you. You were really embarrassing at the game but, you know what? You looked really good doing it.”

Wooseok groaned. “I wasn’t asking for a reminder of how terribly embarrassing I was, Jinhyuk.”

“It wasn’t that bad, Wooseok,” Jinhyuk chuckled. “I’m pretty sure no one remembers.”

“Except you,” Wooseok pointed out. “And probably the entire basketball team. And also, those fuckers who keep following me all around the school to recruit me into the damned spirit club.”

“What’s wrong with the spirit club?”

Wooseok stared at Jinhyuk.

“Are you serious?”

Jinhyuk blinked. “Yes? Should I not be? What’s wrong with the spirit club?”

Wooseok narrowed his eyes, “You find nothing wrong with the fact that we’re called the fucking _Meerkat Mob_?”

“Well, it’s pretty suitable, don’t you think?”

“Don’t hold my hand.” He shook Jinhyuk’s hand out of his own and crossed his arms over his chest.

Jinhyuk laughed as he reached for Wooseok’s hand again. Wooseok pulled it out of his reach, much to Jinhyuk’s dismay. The older man groaned, hand falling into his lap in defeat.

Wooseok huffed.

“You know, having a meerkat as our mascot is already stupid enough,” he told him. “But our school is a fucking nightmare and we really decided that _‘mob’ _was the most appropriate name for the spirit team. Meerkats can be called other things when they’re in a group, you know? A clan. A gang. They’re both stupid, but at least they’re a little bit better than a _mob_.”

“I didn’t know you had such an intense hatred for our school spirit team,” Jinhyuk laughed, mirth glinting in his eyes. “A clan or a gang might sound a bit better, but then it wouldn’t be an alliteration.”

“An _alliteration_,” Wooseok repeated. He scoffed, “Which one of those spirit kids taught you that?”

“Eunsang. One of the newbies,” Jinhyuk replied. “He’s a cute kid.”

“A cute kid? Go on a date with him, instead.”

_“Wooseok.”_

Jinhyuk’s hand came to gently rub his back, soothingly. Speaking about the school spirit team, after weeks of torment, was opening a can of worms. It was something he usually ranted about to Yohan, and only Yohan. Yohan was the only one willing to listen to him spew his annoyance.

Jinhyuk quickly became a victim of Wooseok’s hatred for their school spirit team. _Not quite ideal for a first date, but Jinhyuk still seemed to think he was cute._

“I think our mascot is cute,” Jinhyuk told him, grinning. “He has a cute name.”

“Jinhyuk, his name is Maurice,” Wooseok deadpanned. “Out of all the possible things to name your mascot, we really picked the stupidest one.”

“Aw, you don’t like Maurice?”

“I fucking hate Maurice more than anything in the world.”

Jinhyuk didn’t miss a beat. He grinned, “More than you hate being called ‘cheerleader boy’?”

“Listen, Lee, you’re this close,” Wooseok pinched his fingers together to emphasize his point, “to never getting a second date.”

Catching Wooseok off guard, Jinhyuk grabbed his hand with a loud laugh. His long fingers immediately entwined with Wooseok’s fingers. Then, his voice was soft, “Hey, I’m kidding. Don’t be like that.”

“Watch yourself,” he murmured.

Jinhyuk winked at him.

They called it a night when the clock marked its place just after eleven-thirty and the stars were shining brightly in the sky. Jinhyuk was falling asleep on his shoulder on the bench as they quietly talked about everything under the sun. First dates were all about getting to know one another and Wooseok learned a lot about Jinhyuk. Or at least, he ended their date feeling like he’d known Jinhyuk for years. 

At eleven, when the sky was dark and the moon shone brightly, Wooseok took pity on Jinhyuk. He offered him a ride home. Jinhyuk was hesitant, but Wooseok insisted. If Jinhyuk wanted to walk him back to his car, then there was no point in walking back out to the street to take a bus home. Wooseok couldn’t leave Jinhyuk to do that. He grabbed the older man’s hand and walked them back to his car.

Jinhyuk fit almost awkwardly into the passenger seat of Wooseok’s car. He had to adjust the seat to fit his long legs into the footwell (much unlike Yohan who would rest his legs onto the dashboard above the glove compartment at his own convenience). Wooseok hit an amused smile as he leaned against the steering wheel to watch Jinhyuk get comfortable in his car.

“I didn’t realize your legs were that long,” he teased. In the dim light, he saw Jinhyuk’s cheeks flush.

“I’m tall,” he answered, dumbly. Wooseok giggled. 

“I can see that,” he replied. Jinhyuk pulled the seatbelt over his body with an awkward cough. 

Wooseok decided against continuing to tease the other man. He hid a small smile as he pulled out of the parking lot. He glanced over at Jinhyuk, who was obediently sitting with perfect posture beside him. The warmth in his chest gently reminded him of its presence. This time, Wooseok could admit that _maybe_ it had something to do with thinking that Jinhyuk was really cute.

“I’m going to need some directions,” Wooseok said. “I don’t know where I’m going.”

Jinhyuk fumbled for his phone. Wooseok arched an eyebrow.

“Do you know where you live, Jinhyuk?” 

“Stop that,” Jinhyuk mumbled, shyly. “I’m not very good with directions. I know where I live.”

“Is it near the school?”

“Um, yes,” Jinhyuk replied. Wooseok chuckled.

Giving up on asking Jinhyuk for directions, Wooseok wordlessly looked over his shoulder. The parking lot was empty. Without anyone else in the parking lot, Wooseok stopped the car with his foot on the brakes. He leaned over the armrest to peer at Jinhyuk’s phone. Jinhyuk turned the device so that Wooseok didn’t need to crane his neck to look at it. Jinhyuk zoomed out on the map to point in the general direction of his house. Wooseok’s lips quirked into an amused smile.

“That’s close to me,” he said. He studied the main intersections, absently counting the smaller streets in his head. He smiled up at Jinhyuk, peering at him from under long lashes. Jinhyuk’s eyes widened a little and he took a breath. Wooseok pulled away. “Okay, you can put that away. I know where I’m going.”

Jinhyuk was obedient. He nodded his head and he promptly put his phone back into his pocket. Wooseok couldn’t help but chuckle; _where did the flirty boy from hours ago suddenly disappear to?_

The majority of their ride was quiet. A comfortable silence settled between them as Wooseok drove them home. Jinhyuk occupied himself with staring at Wooseok’s side profile. He watched as the passing street lights illuminated the soft curves of Wooseok’s face; admiring. The younger man focused on the road, completely oblivious to the way that Jinhyuk’s eyes never left his face.

When they turned into Jinhyuk’s street, Wooseok’s lips quirked into a small smirk.

“You’re staring,” he hummed. Jinhyuk tore his eyes away from his face for a moment.

“I always am,” he replied. 

Wooseok wasn’t expecting the answer. The warmth, which had been growing all night, in his chest burst—his cheeks coloured and he instinctively raised a hand to his face, covering his blushing cheeks.

“Which house is yours, you flirt?” he mumbled, forcing himself to keep his eyes on the road.

His reaction drew a smile from Jinhyuk. The older man grinned, playing with his fingers.

“It’s at the end of the street,” he answered, “You can drop me off anywhere, though.”

“I’d rather take you right to your place and watch you walk in.”

“That’s very sweet of you,” Jinhyuk teased. Wooseok shot him a glare.

“I’m not going to be responsible if anything happens to you after you get out of my car.”

“Less sweet, but still cute.”

Wooseok rolled his eyes. He pulled into the older man’s empty driveway. Wooseok turned off the ignition, hands folded into his lap as he turned to look at Jinhyuk. A silent declaration of arrival. 

Jinhyuk glanced at him, hesitantly. 

“Um,” he started. Wooseok looked at him, confused. 

“Is there something wrong?” 

Jinhyuk shook his head. “No, I just—I have something for you.”

“You have something for me?” Wooseok repeated. The confusion doubled. It made itself clear in the way Wooseok furrowed his brows and tilted his head. “Why do you have something for me?”

Jinhyuk scratched the back of his neck, almost shyly. 

“I got you something,” Jinhyuk clarified. It didn’t make anything clearer. Wooseok blinked. Jinhyuk cleared his throat. He made another attempt to form words and make his thoughts coherent and to speak before he deflated and reached into his pocket for something. 

Jinhyuk dangled a small charm from his fingers. It glistened in the light gleaming through the windows. A small, fox-shaped figurine hung from a silver ring; frosted orange and white glass with small dabs of black paint drawing a cute, smiling face onto the fox. Wooseok tilted his head.

“It looks like you,” Jinhyuk mumbled his explanation. He avoided Wooseok’s eyes. “I saw it when we were passing by one of the booths at the night market. It looks like you, so I got it for you.”

A little too nervous to wait for Wooseok’s response, Jinhyuk continued to ramble. Wooseok barely listened to him, something in his mind clicking that this must have been what Jinhyuk ran off to do when he left him alone on the bench. He clearly had his wallet with him when he walked off. It was the only moment they were apart. Wooseok was right beside him for every other purchase. He couldn’t help his smile.

“You don’t have to accept it,” he said. “It’ll make me happy, even if you pretend to like it. I’ll keep it for myself if you don’t want it. It’s okay. You can tell me if you don’t want it.”

Wooseok laughed, the sound soft and tinkling. Jinhyuk stopped talking. He looked at Wooseok.

The younger man reached to take the small charm from Jinhyuk’s fingers. 

“I love it,” he said, softly. “It’s very cute. Thank you, Jinhyuk.”

Jinhyuk’s eyes almost seemed to glow with a mixture of happiness and relief. Wooseok smiled fondly at the charm resting in his hand. 

“I feel bad,” he said. “I didn’t get you anything.”

“You don’t have to!” Jinhyuk insisted. “I just bought it on a whim! Don’t feel bad. Please, don’t. You drove me home! That’s something.”

Wooseok laughed, “I drove you home because it would be terribly rude of me to just abandon you.”

“It’s something,” Jinhyuk said. Wooseok shook his head.

“Definitely not enough,” he said.

And something inside him flickered—an absent thought. He didn’t give the idea any deeper thought before he was leaning over the armrest. He rested his hand gently on Jinhyuk’s shoulder and leaned closer. Jinhyuk’s eyes widened and Wooseok ignored it entirely. 

He pressed a soft kiss against Jinhyuk’s cheek.

“There,” he whispered, ignoring the way his heart was pounding in his chest. “That’s a thank you for taking me out tonight, and a thank you for the gift. I had a great time with you.”

Jinhyuk’s ears were bright red, visible even in the dim light of Wooseok’s car.

Wooseok tried his best to not laugh when Jinhyuk covered his flushed cheeks with both of his hands and clumsily stumbled out of his car, after thanking him for driving home.

And a part of Wooseok’s heart could admit: the warmth in his chest was something close to endearment.

“You’re finally back!” came an excited voice from the living room the moment Wooseok pushed the door to his apartment open. _That wasn’t Yohan’s voice. _Wooseok took his shoes off with a heavy sigh, not bothering to look towards the living room to confirm his suspicions. 

“Why is he still here, Yohan?” he asked, hanging his keys onto the hook by the door.

Seungyoun gasped, dramatically, “Why wouldn’t you just ask me why I’m here?”

Wooseok ignored him.

_“Yohan,_“ Wooseok repeated, his tone demanding a response. 

Yohan was quick to respond to Wooseok’s irritation. The younger man rushed out from his bedroom, his bright blue joycon in his hand. They must have been playing on the Switch before Wooseok got home. Yohan’s reason for being hidden in his bedroom was something that Wooseok would probably never find out. But he wasn’t curious enough to ask why Yohan left Seungyoun in the living room _and_ took his controller with him to his room.

“You’re back!” he exclaimed, clapping his hands together with joy. Wooseok tried not to wince at the way Yohan’s careless hands clapped despite holding the joycon in his hands. Yohan looked over at Seungyoun on the sofa and then back to Wooseok, his expression twisted into sight confusion, “We told you that Seungyoun was sleeping over. That’s why he’s here.”

Wooseok groaned, “Why is he sleeping over?”

“Because I want to hear about your date,” Seungyoun replied as if it were the most obvious thing. He hopped off of the sofa to come to Wooseok’s side. He had a ridiculous grin on his lips; expectant and thrilled. Wooseok wasn’t going to tell him a thing.

“When did you even tell me?”

Yohan tilted his head, “In the group chat!”

Wooseok fixed his friends with an unimpressed stare. He crossed his arms over his chest, “You both really think I would check the group chat while I’m out with someone?”

“No, which is why we’re cornering you about it now,” Yohan declared, eyes twinkling. “You can’t escape us when you’re in your own home.”

Before he could run, his friends both immediately grabbed him. Seungyoun and Yohan were on either side of him with their arms wrapped around Wooseok’s. They peered at him with innocent smiles, looking more like ravenous gremlins than something innocent. He glared at them as they dragged him over to the sofa, their attempt at innocent smiles turning wicked as they got closer to the sofa.

“So,” Seungyoun grinned. He seated himself right up against Wooseok, practically cuddling up against his side. Yohan mirrored him on the other side, squishing Wooseok into the small space between them. “Wooseok, I’m glad you didn’t take your choker off.”

Wooseok rolled his eyes, “Oh, fuck off.”

Yohan beamed, batting his lashes at him, “You look lovely, hyung.”

“I know,” Wooseok retorted. 

Seungyoun and Yohan clasped their hands together in their laps, expectant smiles on their lips.

Wooseok groaned.

“I’m not telling either of you anything,” he said.

“No!” Yohan exclaimed, devastation immediately marring his expression. He deflated, almost comically wilting like a balloon losing air. He smashed his face into Wooseok’s arm, squeezing tighter. “You have to tell us something about it! Anything!”

“Where did you go?” Seungyoun pressed, resting his chin against Wooseok’s shoulder. Wooseok frowned. “Tell us where you went!”

“A diner.”

Seungyoun looked unimpressed, “You spent nearly five hours at a diner?”

“And then, he took me to the night market.”

“Did you kiss?” Yohan asked, his excitement suddenly returning to him. Wooseok glared at him. Yohan cleared his throat, “I mean, was it a good date?”

Wooseok squirmed, “Please, let go of me.”

His friends tightened their grip. Wooseok wheezed. 

“Hyung, answer the question,” Yohan said, suspiciously narrowing his eyes at Wooseok. 

“It’s just a date. It was fine.”

Both Seungyoun and Yohan looked at one another, a flicker of concern crossing their eyes for a split second. Then, they both narrowed their eyes at him, leaning closer to his face to study him carefully—almost as if they couldn’t believe that he was Kim Wooseok. Whether overly dramatic or not, to them, it meant something big when Wooseok didn’t come home from a date with a million complaints to spill.

Every date they set him up with ended up disastrous. Wooseok often came home distressed and annoyed. This wasn’t a date they had a hand in planning, but it was still questionable. Wooseok wasn’t complaining about Jinhyuk and that was a little too suspicious in itself.

They waited. 

“What? I had a good time!”

A collective gasp.

Yohan scrambled into Wooseok’s lap, resisting the older man’s attempts to get off of the sofa. He grinned, proud of his decision. Seungyoun looked entirely too proud of Yohan. 

“So, did you kiss?” Yohan asked. Wooseok rolled his eyes.

“I don’t do kissing on the first date.”

“Would you kiss him on a second date?”

“Why are you asking me this? We’re not having a second date.”

“Hypothetically,” Seungyoun said, dramatically gesticulating with his hands to emphasize his point. “Would you kiss Jinhyuk if you were given the chance?”

“I’m not going to kiss him,” Wooseok told them.

Seungyoun stared at him, expecting more out of the answer. 

Wooseok cracked under the gaze of his best friends. He huffed. Yohan arched an eyebrow, equal parts encouraging and expecting. Wooseok murmured, “I wouldn’t hate it if he tried it, though.”

Stupid grins painted themselves onto his friends’ faces. Wooseok smacked them, both hands struck their arms. Yohan dramatically fell onto him with an exaggerated cry of pain. 

“Get off, you’re heavy,” Wooseok grunted. “And you both smell like alcohol.”

“We were only at the club for like, an hour!” Yohan argued. “We didn’t even drink that much!”

“Doesn’t mean you don’t stink.”

Yohan pouted but obediently crawled off of Wooseok’s lap, throwing himself onto the sofa. He hugged a cushion to his chest, faking a betrayed expression. Seungyoun and Yohan didn’t bother to hold Wooseok down when he moved, realizing that they weren’t going to get any information out of him for the night. _The morning might be a better attempt to pry information from Wooseok. _

Finally, free from the hands of his friends, Wooseok got off of the sofa and made his way to the bathroom to wash up and get ready for bed. His heart pounded in his chest, seemingly too loud for having admitted something as simple as not minding a kiss from Jinhyuk. He doubted it meant anything. _Maybe, it really had been too long since Wooseok experienced something like this. It all had to be a strange fluke. _

As an afterthought, he turned on his heel and looked directly at Yohan.

“Seungyoun is sleeping in your room tonight.”

The refusal came before Wooseok could even finish his sentence. Yohan threw himself back onto the sofa, face down into the cushions of the sofa. He wailed.

“You have the bigger bed, hyung!” Yohan complained. “He’ll be squished! We’ll be squashed!”

Wooseok made a face. He shrugged his shoulders, “Maybe you should go tell him that, then. Make sure to mention that maybe he should have stayed home and slept in his own bed.”

_“Guys, please stop talking about me like I’m not here.”_

After their date, Jinhyuk didn’t text Wooseok.

In fact, neither of them made the move to be the first person to text the other after their date. Hesitation turned into backing out and a solid week of silence passed them. Wooseok didn’t actually mind it too much. Not every first date was meant to go further than that, the first date. Wooseok was used to ghosting people after dates. It didn’t really matter to him if Jinhyuk didn’t want anything more to do with him than the one date. He didn’t expect anything.

Or at least that’s what he tried to tell himself.

Wooseok found himself a little too distracted with fleeting thoughts of Jinhyuk. He was hesitant to pick up his phone and shoot a text to Jinhyuk, even a simple _‘hey’_. But no matter how much he tried to avoid thinking about Lee Jinhyuk, his eyes kept leading themselves back to the little keychain Jinhyuk had gifted to him, now delicately hung onto his set of keys.

Regardless, whether Jinhyuk texted him or not, Wooseok wasn’t upset about it. 

No, that was Yohan. Yohan was terribly upset about it.

“Why isn’t he talking to you? I can’t believe he’s not talking to you!” Yohan wailed, tightly clung onto his best friend’s arm as they walked through the hallway. 

Wooseok regretted his decision to walk Yohan to his class before heading back to their apartment. He also regretted his decision to hold his books for him. The decision to hold Yohan’s textbooks for him wasn’t meant for Yohan to have the freedom to grab onto him like an overgrown, baby koala.

Wooseok didn’t want his best friend to break his back, but maybe letting Yohan break his back would have been better than this. Wooseok sighed.

“I don’t know, Yohan,” he answered. “Maybe because he doesn’t want to.”

“But everyone wants to talk to you!”

Wooseok rolled his eyes with an amused chuckle. “Everyone wants to talk to me? Who wants to talk to me? Name me at least three people who want to talk to me.”

“Me,” Yohan started. Wooseok pushed him. 

“You don’t count,” he retorted. 

“You didn’t say there were exclusions! I should count as at least five people.”

“Because you’re that annoying?”

_“Hey!”_

Wooseok smirked to himself, pleased with having drawn a reaction out of his best friend. He shoved Yohan’s books back into his arms and flashed him a dazzling smile, the special smile he reserved for presentations and telling people off. Yohan shrunk back, nose scrunched up in distaste. 

“Have fun in class,” he chimed. Yohan huffed at him.

“I hope you run into Jinhyuk. I bet he secretly wants to talk to you, too,” he said, tongue childishly stuck out at Wooseok. And before Wooseok could smack him for it, Yohan ran into his classroom to hide.

The door to the lecture hall slammed shut behind him.

Wooseok turned on his heel to walk back down the way he came. He focused on his phone as he walked, knowing the hallways were empty at this hour. He didn’t need to worry about running into other students as he walked. The building Yohan had his classes was close to the athletics complex; it was only busy when students were lined up through the hall for a sports game.

He recounted the chores he needed to do when he got home. He promised Yohan he would do the younger’s laundry before he started studying for his next final, he had to remember to do that.

Wooseok’s attention was drawn away from his phone, suddenly.

There was a shuffling sound of quick footsteps from behind him. 

He was struck with a strange feeling—almost as if he was being followed.

Hesitant to turn around to check, Wooseok took a couple of steps forward. He heard the shuffling again.

Wooseok turned the corner into another hallway, suspicious. 

He looked into the glass of the door, careful to study the reflection of whoever was behind him. He watched as a large head peeked out from behind the wall.

_It’s fucking Maurice_, Wooseok realized. He whirled around.

Maurice, the mascot, looked oddly misshapen. Frankly, the lanky meerkat, in Wooseok’s opinion, was always misshapen. It looked like a mess. He hated their mascot for a good reason. But this was different. The long neck of the meerkat seemed a little more stretched out than usual and the eyeholes looked to be a little off-centre, even with the giant head balanced on top of the stupidly tiny body. Whoever was in the costume was very clearly too tall for the standard height of it.

Wooseok took a step back. The mascot took a step forward.

Wooseok took another step backwards. Maurice stepped closer.

“Are you following me?” he asked, eyes wide with horror. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was certain this exact situation was something that could easily slot itself into a terrible horror movie. 

Maurice fumbled with his marker, scribbling on the whiteboard he was holding.

The initial overwhelming terror drained from his veins as soon as the mascot began scribbling on the whiteboard. Wooseok groaned, “Oh my God, I have to wait for your dumbass to write?”

The mascot erased whatever he had written on the whiteboard with the oversized paw of the costume. Instead, it drew a large frowning face on the whiteboard and turned it to him.

Wooseok rolled his eyes, “Why are you following me?”

He was busy writing again. Wooseok waited. 

_‘Hi there, Meerkat! How are you today?’_

“Do not call me that.” Wooseok made a face, “But, my day is terrible now that I have to deal with you.”

The mascot drew the large frowning face again. _‘You’re a very mean Meerkat!’_

“And?”

_‘It’s very hard to write with these gloves on, you know? TT’_

“You could talk to me,” Wooseok suggested.

The mascot furiously shook its head. Wooseok was half-convinced that if he shook it any harder, the head of the mascot would come tumbling off. At least then they wouldn’t need the dumb whiteboard anymore.

_‘Meerkat, will you come to the Championships? They’re tomorrow! ^^’_

Wooseok pursed his lips. He swore to himself that he wouldn’t attend another basketball game so long as he breathed. He had enough embarrassment from the last time. 

Out of nowhere, Wooseok heard Jinhyuk’s voice in his head. Jinhyuk’s voice began to echo in his mind, calling him cute. It almost had Wooseok changing his mind about going to the championship game (and a part of him hated the way that his mind suddenly decided to remember the teasing way Jinhyuk had imitated his voice on their date).

But no matter how cute Jinhyuk happened to think he was, Wooseok really didn’t want to risk facing the entire school at the championships. He wasn’t over it, yet. Not to mention the final he had tomorrow.

“I can’t,” he said, shaking his head. “I have a final scheduled at the same time as the game.”

Wooseok couldn’t see the person inside the costume but they almost seemed to deflate at his response. A part of Wooseok felt bad. The mascot was busy writing again.

_‘Someone will miss you very much TT are you sure you can’t come?’_

Wooseok was in the middle of reading the mascot’s writing when a series of notifications suddenly sounded from the pocket of the mascot’s costume. 

_Ka-talk._

_Ka-talk._

_Ka-talk. Ka-talk. Ka-talk._

Then, his ringtone began to play loudly.

“Fuck,” the mascot swore. Large gloved hands struggled between trying to put down the whiteboard and trying to shove his hand into his pocket to mute his phone. Clumsy hands dropped the whiteboard and marker; the marker rolled to Wooseok’s feet.

Wooseok laughed, covering his mouth with a hand. He recognized that voice. _Jinhyuk._

Amusement twinkled in his eyes as he bent down to pick up the marker.

He took a few steps forward to hand the marker back to the mascot, a smile on his lips.

“Okay, Maurice. I’ll leave you alone to handle that phone call,” Wooseok said, tone teasing. “I can’t come to the game, but make sure to pass on a message for me, will you?”

Maurice—_Jinhyuk_—took the marker from him. He couldn’t see his face but he could tell the older man was pouting, disappointed with having his cover spoiled. Wooseok chuckled.

“Tell whoever will miss me that I’ll do my best to see if I can finish my exam early and show up, okay?”

The mascot meekly nodded his head.

“Also,” he added, a mischievous smile on his lips. He patted the mascot’s gloved paw, eyes twinkling, “If you can, can you ask if they’ve been avoiding me? Ask if they valued the time we spent together at all.”

In the costume, Jinhyuk made a strangled sound of protest, the familiar words striking him.

“Thanks!” Wooseok turned to leave, a giggle escaping his lips.

In the reflection of the mascot in the doorway, Wooseok could see the way he stood exactly where Wooseok left him, looking terribly stressed even while he was covered by the costume. _Cute._

Despite his promise to do his best to finish his final exam before the championship game ended, Wooseok couldn’t. He finished writing his exam before the allotted time ran out, but he knew he wouldn’t make it to the other side of the school in time to catch the final minutes of the game. A glance to the watch on his wrist proved it. There wasn’t a chance he would make it to the other side of the school in five minutes. The game was scheduled to end at four. Unless the championship game went into overtime, Wooseok didn’t stand a chance.

Still, he made Jinhyuk a promise. Jinhyuk was his friend and he deserved the attempt, simply because Wooseok would do the same thing if he made Yohan a promise. Nothing more and nothing less. He told him that he would do his best to show up and he would try even if he knew he wouldn’t make it. Showing up just as the players were heading off the court was still counted as showing up to the game, right? Wooseok hoped so.

He barely checked over his exam papers.

Wooseok gathered his things off of the desk he was using and haphazardly threw them into his bag. He grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder, his exam papers grasped in the other hand. He practically thrust his exam into the invigilator’s hands before he booked it through the door.

Then, he was sprinting down the empty hallway to the gymnasium.

He couldn’t recall the last time he ran so quickly for anything, much less for a boy. Or at least a promise he made to a boy. He was out of breath by the time he got to the gym. Wooseok leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. His chest heaved with each breath he took.

When he finally caught his breath, Wooseok pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked his reflection in the screen of his phone. Deeming himself presentable enough, he pushed open the door to the gym, peering in.

It was empty. _Ah, he was late._

Hesitant footsteps took him into the middle of the basketball court. He glanced around for any form of life wandering around the court. It seemed he was all alone.

Wooseok glanced down at his watch. He’d spent longer than five minutes running to the gym.

There was the sound of a door creaking, then footsteps. Wooseok froze in place.

“Hey, are you looking for someone?” came a voice from behind him.

Wooseok turned his head. _Han Seungwoo_.

“Um, yeah. I guess I missed the game, though,” he was hesitant to look at the team captain. Wooseok flashed a small smile, “How did it go?”

Seungwoo grinned, “It went great. We blew them out in the first half and kept it going.”

“That’s awesome,” he said. “You’re a big deal, now.”

Seungwoo laughed as he stepped a little closer to him. Wooseok could see that his hair was still wet, either from running on the court or from the showers Wooseok couldn’t tell. As Seungwoo got closer, a flash of recognition crossed his eyes. The taller man smiled at him.

“I guess we are,” he said. He tilted his head, “Are you looking for Jinhyuk?”

“How did you know?” Wooseok answered before he could stop himself.

Seungwoo gave him a small, knowing smile.

“I just know,” he replied. Wooseok couldn’t understand the meaning behind his words but he brushed it off. _Maybe Jinhyuk had mentioned that he would be stopping by?_ Seungwoo gestured to the door behind him, the room he’d just walked out of. “He’s in the locker room. He’s the only one left in there. You can go in if you want.”

“Can I just go in?” Wooseok asked, unsure.

Seungwoo was the team captain and Wooseok was sure that his word was something that he could just go along with, but it felt a little strange to just walk into the locker room. It felt like a place he shouldn’t just freely walk into.

“Why not?” Seungwoo shrugged, “He’ll be happy to see you.”

Wooseok hesitated.

Seungwoo gave him a smile. He motioned for Wooseok to follow him as he walked back to the entrance of the locker room. His knuckles rapped a quick beat against the door as a warning before he pushed the door open.

“Hey!” he shouted into the locker room. “Someone’s here to see you, Jinhyuk!”

Wooseok gasped, horror immediately drawing itself onto his expression. Seungwoo shrugged, tilting his head into the locker room as if telling Wooseok to enter. He motioned for him to come closer with his hand, eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Just go in, Wooseok,” he said. “People come and go all the time. You don’t need to be shy.”

That settled a part of Wooseok’s mind. With a deep inhale—uncertain of why he was so nervous to see Jinhyuk—he walked to the door. At the entrance, Wooseok suddenly stopped walking. Seungwoo patiently waited, head tilted in question. Wooseok turned to look at him.

“Wait,” Wooseok started. Seungwoo arched an eyebrow. “How do you know my name?”

That familiar glint from earlier appeared in Seungwoo’s eyes again, along with the suspiciously knowing smile. He shrugged his shoulders, nonchalantly, “I just know.”

Seungwoo patted him on the shoulder. 

“Go on,” he said, his knowing smile turning encouraging and friendly. “He probably rushed to get dressed because I yelled at him. Don’t keep him waiting too long.”

Wooseok sighed and walked through the door. Seungwoo let it fall shut behind him, and then he was gone. Wooseok was all alone in the locker room all too quickly. Jinhyuk was only a couple steps away if he could summon the courage to not back out, but he still felt like he was standing all alone in a place he shouldn’t be. Wooseok took a deep breath.

He walked into the main space of the locker room. 

Jinhyuk was sitting on one of the benches with a towel on his head to dry his hair, still wet from his quick shower. They made eye contact as Wooseok slinked into the locker room.

“Wooseok?” Jinhyuk sounded surprised. The taller man’s expression quickly changed from surprised to pouty. “What are you doing here?”

Wooseok cleared his throat, “Um, congratulations on winning the championships.”

“Thanks,” Jinhyuk replied. He looked upset. 

Wooseok stepped a little closer to him. He stood by the edge of the bench Jinhyuk was seated on. He pointed to the spot next to Jinhyuk.

“May I have a seat?”

Jinhyuk turned away, “What if I say no?”

“Then you’re being a big baby,” Wooseok replied. He took a seat next to Jinhyuk. He clasped his hands together in his lap. “Listen, I’m sorry I couldn’t come to watch the game. I only just finished my exam. I ran here, you know?”

Jinhyuk looked at him, studying him carefully.

“You ran here?”

“Yes?”

“Why?”

Wooseok sputtered, a baffled sound leaving his lips. “What do you mean_ ‘why’_? I made you a promise that I wasn’t going to break! I didn’t make it on time, but I’m here.”

There was suddenly a shine in Jinhyuk’s eyes, “Are promises to me that important?”

Wooseok rolled his eyes. 

“Well,” he started. “I just think you shouldn’t break a promise. A promise is a promise.”

“You still didn’t make it on time,” Jinhyuk pointed out. “You couldn’t see my cool moves.”

“C’mon,” Wooseok groaned, “I dropped by, didn’t I?”

The basketball player couldn’t help the small smile that suddenly appeared on his lips. Jinhyuk looked away from Wooseok, trying to conceal the small smile on his lips. 

“Yeah,” he answered, voice soft. “I’m glad you did.”

Wooseok jabbed him in the side, playfully. He teased, “What? You like me that much?”

As soon as he finished speaking, he got up from the bench. He stretched out his arms, groaning at the way his joints popped to relieve the tension he’d felt for the duration of writing his exam and running to Jinhyuk. Wooseok didn’t see the way Jinhyuk hesitated at the teasing inquiry. 

“Come on,” he called, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he walked back towards the entrance of the locker room. “Make yourself presentable. Let’s go get something to eat.”

He turned to smile at Jinhyuk, lashes batting playfully.

“My treat for the champion with the cool moves.”

Winning the nationwide championships was a big deal. 

It was a big deal for the reputation of their school in sports and it was a big deal for the fraternity. And, while it was an important event for the school’s reputation, winning the championships for the fraternity was a simple excuse to spend money and throw another party. _Get smashed. _Absolutely any accomplishment completed by any member of the fraternity meant that they needed to get smashed. That was everything Jinhyuk learned in his few years as a treasured member of Beta Theta Iota. He wasn’t certain if it was a collective thing for fraternities, but Jackson made it a point to throw a party for every occasion.

It didn’t help that a majority of the varsity basketball team were members of Beta Theta Iota. For every member of the fraternity who played an active part in carrying the championship trophy home to their school, Jackson multiplied the need to get hammered.

Jinhyuk should have seen it coming, but he didn’t know why he wasn’t aware until they were gathered in the living room of Jackson’s house. Jackson was talking about a beach. And Jinhyuk had absolutely no idea what was going on.

“Wait,” Jinhyuk started, hands raised to pause the conversation in front of him. 

His voice drew the attention of the twenty-something boys sitting in Jackson’s living room. From the corner of his eye, he could see Seungwoo smirking in amusement. He sat beside his team captain at these fraternity meetings for a reason—Seungwoo often briefed him on the meeting when they got back to their shared apartment. It wasn’t for Seungwoo to laugh at him when it was too obvious that he wasn’t paying attention.

“Is there something wrong?” Jackson asked, eyes bright. He looked entirely oblivious to the fact that Jinhyuk was barely listening to a word they’d been discussing for the past half-hour.

Jinhyuk cleared his throat, “What’s going on?”

“Ah, vice-cap ain’t even paying attention,” one of the boys groaned from the sofa beside Jackson. Jinhyuk whipped a cushion at him. 

“We’re talking about the party, of course,” Jackson told him, unfazed by the cushion whizzing past him. The president of the fraternity beamed, “We’re going to my beach house!”

“And, in honour of us winning the championships, we’re going to throw the sickest beach party the world has ever seen,” Seungwoo finished for him.

Jackson’s smile blazed at Seungwoo. He raised his fist to bump his knuckles against Seungwoo’s. Seungwoo returned the gesture with a soft chuckle. 

With that, the discussion of the party continued again. As soon as the attention was off of them, Seungwoo placed his hand onto Jinhyuk’s back, a silent and reassuring gesture that told him that he would definitely go over the details with him when they got back to their apartment. Jinhyuk always knew he could trust Seungwoo with everything.

This time, Jinhyuk did his best to not tune out the majority of the conversation.

His attention strayed somewhere between the other boys talking about alcohol varieties and the guest list. But it turned out that even if he wanted to tune out the whole conversation, he couldn’t. The party discussion turned its attention back to him quickly.

“Jinhyuk!” Jackson called. Jinhyuk looked up.

“Yeah?” he asked. 

“You’re taking your boy, right?”

“My what?” 

Jackson laughed, “Your boyfriend, silly. You’re bringing him to the party, right?”

In his peripheral, Jinhyuk saw Seungwoo shoot him an apologetic look. The older man shrugged his shoulders. He couldn’t trust Seungwoo to help save him from this one. 

“My boyfriend?” he sputtered. Jackson nodded as if it were obvious.

“Yes,” he said. “Didn’t I get you a boyfriend at the last party? You know, the really cute boy that you carried off to la-la land after you took your love shot?”

Jinhyuk flushed. The belated realization struck him: _he was talking about Wooseok. _

Jinhyuk wasn’t dating Wooseok.

Wooseok wasn’t his _boyfriend._

“Um,” Jinhyuk hesitated, suddenly struggling to piece his words together. All twenty-something pairs of eyes were on him. He swallowed, “I mean—!”

“Perfect,” Jackson grinned. “The more the merrier!”

_Fuck._

As quickly as the attention had been brought to him, it vanished. The fraternity busied themselves discussing something else about the party. Jinhyuk’s helpless eyes found Seungwoo’s amused eyes. He silently stared at his roommate, stress visible in his expression.

Seungwoo simply shrugged at him, body language clearly saying _‘sorry, can’t help’_.

_Double fuck._

_“Wooseok!”_

There weren’t very many people who wanted Wooseok’s attention these days. The days where the school spirit team hunted him down ended when their school won the championships. He’d been safe for a few days. But at the sound of his name being called, Wooseok’s attention—which focused itself on trying to determine which kind of soda he was feeling for the day—was immediately drawn away from the refrigerator in front of him. 

He paused his pondering to turn around to see who called his name. 

His eyes quickly searched his surroundings for the owner of the voice. Wooseok’s eyes found familiarity in moments. Even in the middle of the crowded cafeteria, Jinhyuk still stood out like a sore thumb, tall and lanky. Wooseok raised a hand in greeting.

The taller man briskly walked up to him. In a few steps, Jinhyuk was right in front of him and Wooseok could see the clear panic in his eyes at this distance. He raised an eyebrow at him.

“Hey,” he greeted, turning his attention back to the fridge. “What’s got you in such a fuss?”

“Hey,” Jinhyuk started. “Hey, um, are you free this weekend?”

Wooseok hesitated. The sudden question had his mind reeling—_why did he need to know? _Letting his thoughts process for a moment before he answered, he grabbed two bottles of coke (one for himself and one for Yohan, who promised to find them a seat in the cafeteria) and placed them into his tray. Then, turned to look at Jinhyuk with curious eyes.

“Why do you need to know if I’m free this weekend?”

“Um,” Jinhyuk answered, dumbly. Wooseok closed the fridge door and motioned for Jinhyuk to follow him as he continued his mission through the cafeteria. “I mean, well, the frat is hosting another party. It’s at a beach house. It’ll be fun. Do you want to come?”

“I don’t have plans this weekend,” Wooseok told him. He ran his tongue across the top row of his teeth, thoughtful. “And I’m sure it’ll be very fun. But, I don’t know if I’m interested in attending another party hosted by your fraternity, Jinhyuk.”

“Oh.”

There was a silence between them as they moved.

Wooseok glanced at Jinhyuk. He looked like unspoken stress was going to eat him alive.

Wooseok pursed his lips, “You look like my refusal is going to cause your death.”

Jinhyuk cleared his throat, “Yes. Yes, about that…” A pause. Jinhyuk nearly ran into him when he stopped in front of the table with plastic utensils. “There’s something you need to know.”

“And what is that?” Wooseok raised an eyebrow.

“Um,” Jinhyuk started. He looked nervous. “I was really hoping you didn’t have any plans, because I kind of need to take you with me… because Jackson thinks we’re dating.”

Wooseok blinked and rested his tray of food against the counter, balancing it with his hip, “Oh, _wow_. Does that have anything to do with the fact that you picked me up?”

His reaction might have been a little too nonchalant for Jinhyuk’s liking because the taller man looked visibly stressed at his state of calmness.

“Yes? Maybe,” Jinhyuk answered, eyes shaking. “I think he thinks we’re dating because of that.”

“Your fraternity president thinks that we’re dating because you picked me up, literal seconds after we took a shot together?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“So then, I don’t actually have to come to the party,” Wooseok said.

Jinhyuk panicked. “What? No! You have to come! They think we’re dating! I can’t just show up at the party and be like _oh, sorry, I didn’t bring Wooseok, _now!” 

“Why?” Wooseok reached for the straws, struggling to grab them without dropping everything he was holding. “Just say that we broke up. Then, you won’t have to take me with you.”

Jinhyuk’s jaw dropped, “What?”

Wooseok looked at him with an arched eyebrow. He dropped his straws onto the tray, “What’s the problem? Can you _not_ tell them that you broke up with me?”

Jinhyuk’s long strides followed him as he walked off, again.

“No, it’s not that!” Jinhyuk said, panicking as his flustered state heightened. The tips of his ears turned red and he gestured wildly with his hands as he spoke, “I’m just saying—_would you break up with me?_ Because, honestly, I wouldn’t break up with _you_.” 

Wooseok chuckled. 

He stopped walking and turned to face Jinhyuk. This time, the taller man nearly ran into him. Wooseok tilted his head, “You can’t tell them that you broke up with me because you wouldn’t break up with me if we were together in theory? That’s a horrible reason.”

_“Wooseok,”_ Jinhyuk pleaded, hands clasped together. “Please, it’s just one weekend. It’s all going to be fake, anyway. I just can’t show up without you.”

“You’re asking me to pretend to be your boyfriend for a weekend and you’re also asking me to go to a party with all of your fraternity boys, knowing that I’m not the biggest fan of going to parties,” Wooseok pointed out, sparing Jinhyuk a brief glance. “I don’t know about you, but this sounds like something I need to put a little bit of thought into.”

“Wooseok, please,” Jinhyuk tried again. He looked desperate (and Wooseok almost immediately took pity on him). “I’ll owe you. I’ll do anything you want.”

A satisfied smile crossed Wooseok’s face and, for a second, Jinhyuk looked worried.

“I don’t need much,” Wooseok told him. “I’ll do it on two conditions.”

_“Anything.”_

“You can start with paying for my meal,” Wooseok said. Jinhyuk held up his wallet, easily accepting the bargain. Wooseok pursed his lips, studying Jinhyuk’s desperate expression for a moment, “And you also have to let me take Yohan. I’m not going alone.”

“Okay,” Jinhyuk nodded his head, eagerly. “You can take Yohan with you. That’s fine. Jackson said the more the merrier, so there’s nothing wrong with bringing Yohan with you.”

“That’s a done deal, then.”

“You’ll really do it?”

“Are you trying to back out of it?”

“No,” Jinhyuk said. “No, I’m just—you’re saving my life.”

“You are so dramatic.”

Jinhyuk followed Wooseok’s footsteps like a lost puppy. And true to his promise, Jinhyuk swiped his card for Wooseok’s meal.

As they searched for Yohan, Jinhyuk cleared his throat to grab Wooseok’s attention.

“What is it?” Wooseok asked.

“One more thing,” Jinhyuk said, nervously. Wooseok hummed. 

“What more can there be?”

“So,” he started, “Seungwoo hyung would have driven us, but you wanted to take Yohan… so his car is actually going to be too full for all of us. So… could you drive, too?”

Wooseok looked at him, unimpressed. “You want me to drive you to your party?”

“It’s only because we can’t fit in Seungwoo hyung’s car!”

“Who the hell is he driving?”

“The bench players,” Jinhyuk replied, fiddling with his fingers. “He had two seats left but you, me and Yohan don’t equal two.”

“Okay, and why in the world are the bench players more important than his vice-captain and his vice-captain’s fake boyfriend?”

Jinhyuk stared at him like a kicked puppy; pouted lips and wide eyes.

“… because we didn’t know if you would really come and he couldn’t say no to the kids without a good enough reason for it.”

“I’m not a good enough reason?”

“You’re the best reason,” Jinhyuk told him, smothering and sweet. Wooseok cringed. Then, he clasped his hands together hopefully. “I’m sorry, please don’t back out of this.”

Wooseok groaned, “You’re paying for gas, too.” 

Wooseok’s tone didn’t leave any room for argument but Jinhyuk apparently had other plans.

“You can drive my car!” Jinhyuk told him. Wooseok raised a brow.

“Why do I have to drive if you have a car?”

Jinhyuk’s voice got quiet, suddenly._ “… I don’t have my license.”_

Wooseok exhaled, baffled. “Then, why do you have a car?”

“It was a birthday gift!”

“Which idiot got you a car for your birthday when you don’t have your license?”

“Forget that—I’ll pay for gas. You can drive my car,” Jinhyuk insisted, panic rising in his tone as they got closer to the table Yohan was seated at. “Please don’t back out.”

“You’re really lucky that I’m a nice person,” Wooseok rolled his eyes. “But, fine. I’ll drive.”

The conversation ended there. Too close to Yohan, Jinhyuk didn’t dare to speak another word.

Wooseok placed the tray of food down onto the table and placed the utensils down in front of Yohan. Yohan barely noticed, too busy staring down at his phone. Wooseok took a seat in front of his best friend, and habitual hands moved to crack open one of the drinks to put a straw into it for Yohan. He put it in front of the younger man. Familiar with the pattern, Yohan took it.

“Hey, Hannie,” he greeted, his tone too sweet and terrifyingly cheerful.

Yohan looked surprised to hear a nickname fall from Wooseok’s lips. Jinhyuk winced. The straw dropped from Yohan’s lips and the effort he put into _not_ spitting his drink out was visible. Yohan swallowed hard, left hand immediately rising to hold his own throat.

Then, very slowly, Yohan looked up from his phone, hesitant. For a moment, he stared at Wooseok with comically wide eyes. The younger man took his time to piece his words together. 

“What did you do with Wooseok hyung?”

Wooseok laughed. “Nothing, you piece of shit.”

Jinhyuk hovered awkwardly by their side. Yohan glanced at him.

“You’re acting weird,” Yohan said. The younger man’s eyes darted around, from Wooseok to Jinhyuk and then back. He lowered his voice, whispering to Wooseok, “Why is Jinhyuk here?”

“Is he not welcome here?” Wooseok asked, playfully.

“You’re scaring me, hyung.”

“Why?”

“You’re not usually like this,” Yohan said, wary. “You’re not like this unless you want something.”

“How sharp of you, my little Hannie,” Wooseok praised, smiling innocently. “I want something.”

Yohan stared at him. He looked afraid (and Wooseok supposed he could understand that sentiment).

“… what do you want, hyung?”

“You’re coming to a party with Jinhyuk and I this weekend. We’re going to stay at a cool beach house,” Wooseok said, finger pointed at Yohan. “Any objections?”

Yohan opened his mouth to speak. Wooseok mimed zipping his lips shut.

He flashed a charming smile at his best friend, “I was just asking to be nice. You can’t say no. I’m taking you with me and there’s nothing you can do about it. Good? Perfect.”

“What the heck? Where’s my invitation?” Seungyoun was loitering on their couch, again, the night after Wooseok received Jinhyuk’s sudden invitation to the frat party. He was holding one of the joycons loosely in his hands—yellow, Wooseok’s. His fingers were focused on beating the crap out of Yohan’s character in the game Wooseok recently bought, quick fingers tapping at the buttons to build combinations which struck Yohan’s character down and lifeless, but his mouth was busy with complaining.

_Typical._

Seungyoun was in the middle of rambling on about how he felt betrayed that Wooseok and Yohan were going away for the weekend, clearly meaning he wouldn’t be able to come over. As far as Wooseok was concerned, Seungyoun was more upset about the fact that he wouldn’t be allowed to touch their Switch for a few days because they wouldn’t be home to let him into their apartment than he was about not being invited to a fraternity party.

“You didn’t get one,” Wooseok told him, shrugging. He was curled up on the sofa, nursing a mug of hot chocolate in his hands as he watched his friends try to kill one another in a game. “Jinhyuk doesn’t really know you, you know?”

Seungyoun scoffed in time with Wooseok’s response and the hard slam of a hammer hitting his character. He glared at Yohan. “But Yohan got an invite! Does Jinhyuk really know him at all? Isn’t it just you that he knows? Why didn’t I get invited?”

“It’s because I’m his favourite,” Yohan chimed in. Wooseok laughed.

“Yohan didn’t get invited by Jinhyuk,” Wooseok clarified. “He’s being dragged along because I told Jinhyuk that I don’t want to go if Yohan wasn’t coming with me.”

From the floor, Yohan looked away from the game and stared at Wooseok with a betrayed look on his face. In his moment of distraction, Seungyoun’s character knocked him off the map with a strong smack, sending his character spiralling off into the distance. The screen turned red, declaring Seungyoun’s victory. Yohan groaned and dropped his head back against the couch.

“What about me?” Seungyoun complained, “Why don’t you want _me_ to come?”

Wooseok snorted, “Do you want to come, you fuckhead?”

Seungyoun simply feigned a hurt expression at him, hand dramatically clutching his chest.

“Do you want to come?” Wooseok asked, again. Annoyed at the pouty face Seungyoun was giving him, he whipped a sofa cushion at Seungyoun’s head. The older man caught it. 

“How could I just intrude?” Seungyoun fell against the couch, faking a sob.

Wooseok kicked him over the arm of the couch. Seungyoun did his best to hide his smirk of amusement behind his hand. He struggled to keep his expression looking wounded. 

Wooseok rolled his eyes at him, “I’m driving. We can literally just put you in the car, they won’t say a thing about it. You can come.”

Seungyoun laughed at that. The older man’s expression returned to normal. He shrugged his shoulders playfully and smiled, entirely satisfied with Wooseok’s response.

But he shook his head, refusing Wooseok’s offer. “No, I’m just kidding. I can’t go.”

Wooseok arched a knowing brow at him, lips pursed into a small smile over the rim of his mug.

“Can you _not _go or do you not want to go?” he asked, curious. 

Seungyoun flashed him a small smile and he raised his fingers in a V-shape, signalling his answer to Wooseok. 

Wooseok grinned, “_Oooh_, did we get some progress?”

Yohan’s eyes widened and he looked at Seungyoun. He immediately placed his joycon onto the floor to crawl onto the couch next to Seungyoun, “Progress on what? What don’t I know?”

Seungyoun’s cheeks flushed, “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“What? Why are you two hiding things from me, now? Why can’t you come with us, Seungyoun hyung?” Yohan pressed, “What’s this progress about?”

“He’s wheeling a kid in my program,” Wooseok told Yohan with a grin. “He’s got a date.”

“A kid in your program? The one first-year kid you’re tutoring as a side gig?” Yohan gasped. He didn’t even wait for a response from Wooseok. He turned to look at Seungyoun, scandalized, “You’re trying to wheel Koo Jungmo?”

_“No—!” _

“Hyung, don’t you know the rumours? They say he’s the kid of some higher power associated with the Triad,” Yohan exclaimed, “That’s why he pays Wooseok hyung so much for tutoring!”

“He just said no, Yohan,” Wooseok chuckled. “The rumours aren’t true. Jungmo is an angel.”

“To you,” Yohan said, eyes narrowed. “He’s an angel to you because he _pays_ you.”

“That isn’t the point,” Wooseok told him. “Seungyoun isn’t trying to wheel Jungmo.”

“Oh,” Yohan said. Then, he nodded sagely, “Yeah, they’d look weird together.”

_“Hey!”_

“He’s not wrong,” Wooseok pursed his lips. “I think Jungmo’s also way too young for you.”

Seungyoun rolled his eyes, hand raised with the cushion gripped in a threatening manner. Wooseok bat his lashes innocently at his friend. Sitting between them, in a perfect state of being lost and confused, Yohan blinked hard.

“Okay, but then who are you trying to wheel?” Yohan asked. 

Seungyoun fiddled with the joycon in his hands, nervously. He shifted in his spot. He cleared his throat, eyes desperately searching for Wooseok’s help. 

“I’ve never seen Seungyoun hyung like this before,” Yohan said, awed. He poked at one of Seungyoun’s blushing cheeks with a finger. “He must really like the kid.”

“He’s in your year, Yohan,” Wooseok remarked. He took pity on his friend. “That’s all you need to know. Let’s leave Seungyoun alone, now.”

Sighing, Yohan scrambled off of Seungyoun and sat up straight. He frowned.

“Aw. Who am I going to make fun of if it’s not him?”

“Wooseok?” Seungyoun suggested. Wooseok glared at him.

“What can I make fun of Wooseok hyung for?” Yohan asked, sounding too innocent to fault.

Seungyoun shrugged, “I mean, he just agreed to go to a party because a boy asked him to. And we both know that your Wooseok hyung doesn’t like parties. Especially not if it’s far away.”

Wooseok glared warning daggers at him, and if looks could kill, Seungyoun would be on the floor choking up blood. 

“Watch yourself, Cho. I just saved your dumb ass.”

“So, let me get this straight,” Yohan said, out of breath, as they stood on the porch of Jinhyuk’s house. He leaned against the brick wall beside him, dramatically heaving his breaths. “You made us _walk _all the way to Jinhyuk’s place because you’re driving _his_ car? Why couldn’t you just take your car to Jinhyuk’s place and park it here while we’re gone?”

“Jinhyuk’s place isn’t that far,” Wooseok said, simply. He glanced at Yohan, eyebrows arched and judgemental, “I can’t believe you’re an athlete. How out of shape are you that you can’t even walk three blocks without dying?”

“I’m carrying your bags!” 

Wooseok pursed his lips, studying his best friend. He shrugged, “Well, I only packed enough stuff for two days, so everything else that’s ridiculously heavy is on you, Yohan.”

Yohan huffed, “You packed your entire collection of skincare products.”

“It’s not a _collection_,” Wooseok retorted. “It’s my daily products.”

“My ass,” Yohan scoffed. “You do _not_ put all this shit on your face in one day. You just wanted me to suffer for whatever reason.”

“I don’t want you to suffer,” Wooseok chuckled. “You’re just dramatic.”

“Can you just ring the doorbell, already?”

Wooseok beamed at his best friend. He pressed the doorbell.

Nothing.

Again, Wooseok pressed the button. He waited. 

“Hyung, are you sure this is the right house—?”

A familiar face opened the door, but it wasn’t Jinhyuk. Kind eyes and gentle features; _Seungwoo_. Wooseok’s eyes widened in surprise as Seungwoo greeted him with a smile and a nod. He leaned his weight against the door, the smile never leaving his lips. 

“Hey,” he greeted. “You’re here for Jinhyuk?”

“Hey,” Wooseok replied. Yohan was quiet beside him. Wooseok nodded, “Yeah. For Jinhyuk.”

“Jinhyuk, your friends are here,” Seungwoo called, head turned to look for Jinhyuk inside the house. From the corner of his eye, Wooseok saw Yohan gulp. Seungwoo turned back to look at them with a kind smile, “He’s still gathering his things. Would you like to come in for a bit?”

Wooseok hesitated. Somehow, this felt a little familiar. 

Wooseok didn’t need to think for long. He was interrupted by the sound of Jinhyuk’s voice.

“Hey, babe,” Jinhyuk greeted from behind Seungwoo. He poked his head between the door and Seungwoo’s arm. He flashed them a charming smile. “I’m just finishing up. Come in for a bit.”

Wooseok choked on air. Yohan’s eyes bugged out comically. He looked between Wooseok and Jinhyuk, confusion evident in his expression. Wooseok raised a weak hand in response to the greeting, a pitiful attempt at a wave. Yohan stared at him and the brief moment of eye contact with a guilty-looking Wooseok had Yohan’s expression transforming into a betrayed one. 

Seungwoo, completely oblivious to the exchange between them, smiled and stepped out of the doorway to let them in. He gestured them to follow him into the house.

When Jinhyuk and Seungwoo weren’t looking at them, Yohan nudged Wooseok aggressively with his arm. He gave him a look, disbelief mixed with shock and confusion. 

_“Babe?” _he mouthed at him. “What am I missing out on?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Wooseok answered, weakly. “We’re just kind of… a thing.”

“Seungyoun hyung was right,” Yohan whispered, “I should have made fun of you.”

“I’ll kill you with my own hands.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Yohan retorted. Wooseok eyed him.

“You’re getting brave,” he muttered. Yohan made a face.

Seungwoo interrupted them, “Would either of you like a drink?”

“I’d love a drink,” Yohan chimed, immediately bright. Seungwoo smiled and handed him the can of soda in his hand. “Thank you, you’re so very beautiful. Beautifully kind.”

Wooseok elbowed him. Seungwoo seemed oblivious to Yohan’s questionable rambling. The older man offered the other can in his hand to Wooseok. He shook his head. Seungwoo took a seat on the sofa, gesturing for them to be seated with him. Wooseok and Yohan obliged.

“You might as well get comfortable, Wooseok and… friend,” Seungwoo told them with an apologetic smile. He hesitated with his eyes on Yohan for a moment, apologetic for not knowing his name. “Jinhyuk takes forever to get everything in order. He woke up late today, too.”

“… my name is Yohan. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Yohan whispered, his hands gripped into Wooseok’s shoulder. The older man sighed. Seungwoo simply nodded his head.

“Yohan, then,” he repeated. “Wooseok and Yohan. Make yourselves comfortable.”

Yohan looked as if he were ready to pass happily and Wooseok had to nudge him aggressively in the side to stop him from smiling stupidly in front of Jinhyuk’s roommate. 

“I heard he’s letting you drive his car, Wooseok,” Seungwoo remarked. “You must be special. He doesn’t even let me drive his car.”

“I wouldn’t call myself special.” Wooseok laughed with a shrug, “I think it might just be because you have your own car. I heard you’re driving the bench kids around.”

Seungwoo chuckled, amusement twinkling in his eyes. “You might be right. He wouldn’t let the bench players touch that baby with a ten-foot pole.”

“I want to see his car,” Yohan said, softly. It was for Wooseok to hear but Seungwoo laughed. Yohan’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. He looked away.

At that moment, Jinhyuk ran down the stairs, skipping several steps with his long legs. 

“Are we all ready to go?” he asked. Wooseok glanced over at him.

“Just waiting on you,” he replied.

“Sorry,” Jinhyuk said. “I woke up late and I totally forgot that I haven’t packed my things. I’ve been running around all morning. I didn’t mean to make you guys wait.”

“Seungwoo told us,” Wooseok remarked. “He said you’re a mess.”

Seungwoo laughed; soft. “I didn’t say that.”

“No, he didn’t,” Wooseok confirmed. “I said that.”

Jinhyuk walked over to Wooseok in three quick strides. He bent down slightly and poked his nose, making a face, “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

This time, Wooseok wasn’t shocked by Jinhyuk’s sudden flirting. 

He flashed a teasing smile, “No, _you’re_ lucky I’m cute.”

Yohan gagged from behind them.

“The kids aren’t here yet,” Seungwoo spoke up, interrupting them. Jinhyuk turned to look at him. “I have to wait for them. Did you guys want to leave first?”

“You’re coming?” Yohan asked, suddenly. Wooseok resisted the urge to smack him across the head for sounding so rude. He made a face at Yohan.

Yohan cleared his throat, “I just didn’t know he was coming.”

“I’m a member of the fraternity too, Yohan,” Seungwoo answered. His voice was kind and the way Yohan practically melted into the sofa was a little too obvious. Wooseok sighed.

“We’ll leave when you leave,” Wooseok said. “If you’re okay with us hanging out a little longer. I don’t exactly know where I’m headed and Jinhyuk isn’t amazing with directions, so it would be nice if we could just follow you.”

“That’s good. Friends of Jinhyuk are friends of mine, you’re both very welcome here.” Seungwoo replied. “Make yourself at home. I don’t mind you guys being around until we leave.”

Seungwoo left them to head to the refrigerator, saying something about needing to stock the car up with drinks and snacks for the kids for the ride. Wooseok couldn’t help but find amusement in the way he seemed to treat the other members of the basketball team as his children.

There was a silence between them for a moment. Then, Yohan shifted on the sofa.

“… Jinhyuk hyung’s roommate is hot,” Yohan murmured as he buried his face into the sleeve of Wooseok’s shirt. Wooseok gingerly patted his hair, a weak attempt at comfort. 

“We can see that you think so,” he replied, softly.

“Tell him,” Jinhyuk suggested. Yohan gaped at him.

“I just met him, how could I do that?”

“It’s just a compliment.”

Yohan shook his head wildly. He looked comically terrified, “I can’t do it.”

Jinhyuk’s eyes glimmered with mischief. He cleared his throat, “Hey, cap!”

“Hyung,” Yohan whispered urgently. The horror seeped into his tone. “Hyung, _no_!”

_It was too late. _Seungwoo heard him.

“What is it?” Seungwoo looked up from behind the fridge door. 

“Someone thinks you’re hot,” Jinhyuk told him. 

Yohan’s cheeks flushed and he sat straight up, eyes wide like a deer in headlights.

Seungwoo smiled, kind as ever. Yohan slouched onto the sofa, melting into the cushions like he was on the verge of ascending to the heavens and wanting to die at the same time. Seungwoo was smiling at him but he was also being exposed. Yohan short-circuited.

“Do you want to help me bring stuff to the car, Yohan?” Seungwoo asked.

Weakly, Yohan nodded. The younger man slinked off the sofa, embarrassment sinking in.

“Thank you. You’re so kind.” Seungwoo said, the soft smile never leaving his lips. 

He draped an arm over Yohan’s shoulder and pulled him away from them. The tips of Yohan’s ears were bright red as he shuffled along with Seungwoo’s footsteps. They were out of Wooseok’s line of sight in a matter of moments but Wooseok swore he could hear Yohan’s heartbeat from where he was seated.

Wooseok looked at Jinhyuk, amused. “You didn’t have to do that to him.”

Jinhyuk chuckled, “He wouldn’t have made the first move, would he?”

“He just met him, Jinhyuk,” Wooseok pointed out. 

“I think you should act on your instant infatuations,” he replied. Wooseok arched a brow. _Instant infatuation?_ He didn’t ask for clarification, didn’t ask Jinhyuk what he meant. He simply hummed and let his mind wander to wherever it wanted to take him.

He changed the subject, quickly.

“Can I see your car?” Wooseok asked, eyes bright. “Seungwoo made it sound really cool.”

Jinhyuk laughed and nodded. He stood up and motioned for him to follow him to the garage. Excited, Wooseok was immediately on his feet, following him.

Wooseok didn’t know what to expect. There were many things he could expect from Jinhyuk but, at the same time, Jinhyuk proved on several occasions that Wooseok’s expectations were never right when it came to him. Still, Jinhyuk was a boy without his license and a car given to him as a gift. In Wooseok’s mind, there was no way that it could be _that_ cool.

The taller man pushed the garage door open and gently guided Wooseok inside, a careful arm around Wooseok’s waist.

Wooseok’s jaw dropped. Again, he was struck with the reality that Jinhyuk apparently had a way of proving him wrong.

“You know, nowhere in this agreement did you tell me that you had the sweetest ride,” Wooseok told him. Jinhyuk shrugged with a small grin as he followed Wooseok into the garage. 

The younger man marvelled at the red convertible parked in the garage. A part of Wooseok couldn’t help but wonder: _which rich idiot got such a beautiful car for some idiot’s birthday when said idiot didn’t even have his license? Which idiot had this much cash to spare?_

“Would it have made a difference?”

“I would have happily paid for gas if it was the cost of taking this beautiful baby for a spin,” he told him. Jinhyuk chuckled.

“Is that offer still up?”

“No. A done deal is a done deal. You’re paying for gas,” Wooseok replied. Jinhyuk laughed, head thrown back in his amusement. With teasing intent, he dangled the keys to the car in front of Wooseok’s eyes. The smaller man immediately snatched them from him.

“I can’t believe this baby is all mine for a weekend,” Wooseok pressed the button on the key fob, excitedly. The doors unlocked.

Jinhyuk laughed and draped an arm around Wooseok’s shoulders, “All yours. And it even comes with extras.”

“What extras?”

“Me,” Jinhyuk grinned. “I’m the extra. You should affectionately call me _‘baby’_, too.”

Wooseok looked at him, incredulous. 

“No,” he replied. “I’ll call you Jinhyuk. _Affectionately_.”

Jinhyuk rolled his eyes, nudging him gently, “How is anyone going to believe we’re dating if I’m the only one who calls you ‘babe’?”

“Not all couples use pet names,” Wooseok told him. “And could you _please_ give me a warning the next time you decide to call me that? You nearly killed me at the door.”

The arm around Wooseok’s shoulder pulled him closer and Jinhyuk knocked their foreheads together. Too close for comfort, Wooseok’s eyes widened and he stiffened in Jinhyuk’s grip.

The taller man smirked in amusement.

“Sure thing, babe.”

Wooseok kicked him.

(When they were finally ready to leave and all the bench players were loaded into the back of Seungwoo’s car, Jinhyuk and Yohan hung out by the side of Jinhyuk’s convertible. They looked like they were ready to fistfight over who was going to be riding shotgun next to Wooseok.

Already exhausted, Wooseok rested his head against the steering wheel and waited for their continuous game of rock-paper-scissors to finally end. Wooseok had told them he didn’t care who was going to be riding shotgun, but he regretted it. He should have picked for them.

He watched as the pair continued to throw out matching hand signs.

_Rock. Paper. Scissors. Scissors. Paper. Paper. Scissors. Rock._

A shadow loomed over him as the pair finally differed and Yohan screamed in excitement, throwing his hands up into the air. He hopped into the seat beside Wooseok as Jinhyuk fell to the ground, devastated. Amusement twinkled in Wooseok’s eyes. He turned to look behind him.

_Seungwoo._

“Hey,” he greeted. Seungwoo smiled.

“Hey. I’m just here to say: it was very nice to formally meet Jinhyuk’s boyfriend,” Seungwoo told him. “I hope you have a lot of fun since I don’t know if we’ll see each other again at our destination. Things tend to get a little bit… messy.”

“We’re not actually dating,” Wooseok told him with a laugh, half-hoping that his joke really sounded like one. Wooseok glanced over at Jinhyuk, who was crouched down on the ground, crushed at his defeat. “He just needed a ride.”

Seungwoo’s eyes glimmered with mischief. He looked behind Wooseok, making sure Jinhyuk was still out of earshot. He grinned.

Seungwoo lowered his voice, careful to make sure Jinhyuk wouldn’t hear him as he was getting into the back of the car. “Oh, yes. Give him a good ride, will you?”

His words struck a defenceless Wooseok, the younger man’s cheeks burning a bright red at the implication.

In his sudden bout of shock, Wooseok covered his mouth with a hand, trying not to gasp in horror at Seungwoo’s joke. Seungwoo winked at him.

Before Wooseok could react to it, Seungwoo threw up a peace sign before he disappeared into the driver’s seat of his car. 

Beside Wooseok, Yohan looked like he was falling in love for the millionth time. 

“Hyung, he’s _perfect_.”

Wooseok resisted the urge to knock Yohan out with a solid fist.)

A part of Jinhyuk found it oddly adorable when Wooseok pushed both him and Yohan out of the car, insisting that they should join everyone else in the house while he parked the car. When Wooseok drove off and Jinhyuk was alone with Yohan, the younger man leaned over to him to whisper a quiet: “I hope you know that Wooseok hyung only wanted to go park the car alone so we could move everything into the rooms by ourselves.”

Jinhyuk took Wooseok’s bag from Yohan’s hands with a laugh and a shake of his head (“Just tell me you want me to carry his bags for you,” he teased). Yohan skipped along behind him as they walked into the house, carrying his own bag. 

He directed Yohan to the room down the hall from the room he was meant to share with the basketball team. He gently placed Wooseok’s bag down into the room, smiling at the way Yohan beamed at him with bright eyes. He looked like he had a million questions to ask but was trying to refrain from asking. Jinhyuk could only assume that all the questions were about Wooseok.

“Get comfortable and come downstairs,” Jinhyuk told the younger man. He ruffled Yohan’s hair with a grin before he turned to walk to his assigned room.

The fraternity had divided the rooms when they were in Jackson’s living room. They were a bunch of broke university students; the beach house only had three rooms. The basketball team was meant to be crammed into the master bedroom and the other boys in the fraternity would be grouped into the other room. Any other guests would be put into the remaining room. Yohan and Wooseok fell into the last category. 

Jinhyuk didn’t bother with unpacking his things. He carefully placed his bag in the corner of the room before he made his way downstairs. He could already see the bottles of alcohol littered on the floor of the house, all unopened. The clock on the wall struck just shy of two-thirty in the afternoon. He would have been highly concerned if they were open at this hour.

“Jinhyuk!” His fraternity president was making a beeline towards him when he turned to look.

“You guys look like you’re ready to have a kegger,” Jinhyuk remarked. “I knew there would be alcohol, but you’ve exceeded my expectations.”

Jackson beamed at him. “I’m the best when it comes to organizing parties.”

“Everyone in this house knows that,” Jinhyuk replied, nudging him gently.

Jackson’s eyes focused on Jinhyuk for a moment, then his eyes searched their general surroundings. Before Jinhyuk could ask him what he was looking for, Jackson’s eyes were locked with his, suspicious. 

“Where’s Wooseok?” Jackson asked. Jinhyuk hesitated.

“_Um_, he’s—…” His voice trailed off.

Slender arms snaked around Jinhyuk’s waist and his back was met with warmth, a comfortable chest. Jinhyuk’s breath caught in the back of his throat, surprise taking over his senses. He turned his head, panicked. Wooseok peeked out from his side, playfulness dancing in his eyes. 

“Were you looking for me?” he asked, a cute smile on his lips. Jinhyuk ignored the way his heart suddenly skipped a beat in his chest. _It was just surprising._

“Hey,” he replied, breathless. “Yeah, we were looking for you.”

“Did you miss me already?” Wooseok asked him, eyes shining. Jinhyuk took a breath.

“Always,” he answered, stiffly. From beside them, Jackson cooed.

“Oh, you two!” he grinned from ear to ear. “Did you already get settled in, Wooseok?” 

“I just got in. Yohan took my stuff upstairs for me,” Wooseok replied with a small smile. His arms remained wrapped around Jinhyuk’s waist, warm and comfortable. Subconsciously, Jinhyuk moved his hands from his side and gently placed his hands onto Wooseok’s.

“Yohan did?” Jackson looked surprised, “You’re not staying with Jinhyuk?”

“I don’t know,” Wooseok answered, peeking up at Jinhyuk. “He went with Jinhyuk.”

Jinhyuk cleared his throat, “Yohan’s putting their stuff away in the guest room.”

Jackson gasped in shock. “You’re making your boyfriend sleep in a different room?”

“Is that so surprising? I can’t leave Yohan alone,” Wooseok told him, laughing softly. “He came with me. I should have the responsibility to stay with him.”

“And you have the heart to leave your boyfriend alone?” Jackson teased. 

Wooseok’s laughter was muffled with the way he buried his face into Jinhyuk’s arm.

“Of course, I can. He can live without me for a night,” he glanced up at Jinhyuk. “Right?”

Jinhyuk nodded, quickly. A little too quickly.

“Why don’t you guys just stay in the same room?” Jackson suggested, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Wooseok gasped softly, scandalized.

Jinhyuk glanced down at the boy clinging onto him. Wooseok lowered his eyes, faint dust of colour on his cheeks. He tightened his grip around Jinhyuk’s waist and he squished his cheek against his arm. Wooseok’s voice was so soft when he spoke, _“No, I’m shy.”_

And suddenly, Jinhyuk couldn’t ignore the way his heart pounded in his chest. 

_Maybe Wooseok was too good at playing this role he put him in._

It was completely unsurprising to Wooseok that the fraternity was ready to whip out the alcohol as soon as the clock struck five in the afternoon and everyone was settled into the beach house. Truthfully, Wooseok was a lot more surprised that they didn’t start earlier.

Yohan had vanished from his side in favour of looking for Seungwoo (even though he quietly admitted that he wouldn’t even have the guts to talk to him if he found him). Seungwoo hadn’t been kidding about how messy the party would be. If Jinhyuk wasn’t very obviously one of the very tall basketball players in the house, Wooseok probably wouldn’t have been able to find him.

Wooseok was seated on the sofa in the living room, surveying the room filled with drunken boys. They started drinking an hour ago and there were already some boys passed out on the floor. Jackson sat down beside him for a brief moment and reassured him that they would be ‘up and ready to party again’ in a matter of moments. They just needed a nap.

If Wooseok sat alone any longer, he might need a nap too. But he couldn’t really see himself directly inserting himself into the fray. There were too many drunken people who couldn’t watch their step. He was fine with watching everyone else have a blast.

A shadow loomed over him. Wooseok turned his head.

“Wooseok, hey,” Jinhyuk grinned at him. He was holding a can of beer in his hands. He jumped over the back of the sofa and took a seat next to the younger man. 

“Hey,” he replied. Wooseok glanced around to survey their surroundings for a moment. He decided that anyone around them was too busy with their drinks to pay too much attention to them. He relaxed, leaning against the sofa beside Jinhyuk. “Why are you here?”

“You looked lonely,” Jinhyuk replied with a smile. Wooseok rolled his eyes.

“Just say you missed me.”

“I missed you,” Jinhyuk poked his side with a teasing grin. Wooseok smacked his arm. 

Jinhyuk offered him the can of beer with a tilt of his head, “Do you feel like drinking today?”

Wooseok looked at the can in Jinhyuk’s hands. His eyes trailed up to look into Jinhyuk’s eyes. He was asking him a question out of curiosity, he remembered Wooseok didn’t like to drink too much. The younger man shrugged his shoulders and reached for the can.

“I don’t need to go anywhere, so I guess it won’t hurt to have a drink,” he said with a smile. He winked playfully, “You’ll take care of me, right?”

Jinhyuk smiled. He nodded his head, “You’re my responsibility. I took you here.”

Wooseok made a face at him. Jinhyuk laughed. 

“Are you just going to watch me drink?” Wooseok asked. He stared at Jinhyuk’s empty hand. The taller man laughed, his head thrown back in amusement. His eyes twinkled when they met with Wooseok’s eyes again.

“No,” he replied. Jinhyuk leaned over the edge of the couch and picked up an unopened can of beer. He raised it towards Wooseok with a smile. “I came prepared.”

“You got that off the floor.”

“There’s alcohol in every corner of this house,” he answered. Wooseok snorted. “How do you know I didn’t get yours off the floor, too?”

“I would be rather offended if you did,” Wooseok replied, one of his eyebrows arched. “Picking up random things to give to your boyfriend? _Oh,_ so cruel.”

Jinhyuk nudged him with a laugh, “I got it from the fridge.”

Wooseok pressed the cold can against the side of Jinhyuk’s neck. The taller man yelped and ducked away from the touch. Wooseok’s eyes twinkled. 

“I know,” he replied, innocently. Jinhyuk pouted at him.

Jinhyuk’s mind must have suddenly conjured up a brilliant thought because his eyes suddenly glinted with interest for a second. He lowered his can of beer and rested his elbows against his knees with a grin. Wooseok blinked at him, partly in fear of what was on Jinhyuk’s mind. 

“Hey, have you ever shotgunned something before?”

Wooseok shook his head, “I don’t think I drink often enough to know.”

Jinhyuk laughed, “Do it with me.”

“I don’t even know what I’m doing!”

“I’ll teach you,” Jinhyuk assured. Wooseok narrowed his eyes. 

“What are you teaching me?” 

Jinhyuk flashed him a cute smile, “Just say yes?”

Wooseok huffed. He glanced at the can of beer in his hands, “Fine, what are we doing?”

Jinhyuk held his hand out for the can in Wooseok’s hands. Hesitantly, the younger man handed it to him. Jinhyuk pulled his keys out of his pocket and tilted the can in his hand.

“So, the whole point of this,” he explained as he turned the can horizontally and made an incision into the aluminum with his keys, “is to drink the entire can in one shot.”

Wooseok gaped at him. Jinhyuk laughed and pointed to the hole in the can, “Hold the can tightly. You put your mouth here and you’re going to tilt your head back and crack open the tab at the same time. That releases the pressure and you’re going to chug it.”

“… can we stand up for this?” Wooseok made a face, “I don’t think I can do this without getting it everywhere and I don’t want to get my clothes all soaked with alcohol.”

Jinhyuk laughed. “Yes, we can stand up for this. Don’t worry, I’ll do it with you.”

He handed Wooseok the can. Wooseok refused it and held his hand out for Jinhyuk’s key.

“I want to try it,” he said. Jinhyuk chuckled and handed him his keys. He gave him the other can. 

First-timers were clumsy. Wooseok was no exception. Jinhyuk’s hands guided him to hold the can properly as he dug the keys into the aluminum. Strangely, it felt a little intimate for Jinhyuk to be closely holding his hands as he moved them. Verbal instructions would have been enough but Wooseok couldn’t find it in himself to really complain about it. He peered up at Jinhyuk to gauge his expression. The taller man wasn’t looking at him.

As soon as the hole was punctured in the can, Wooseok raised it to his mouth. 

_“No, no, no, no,” _Jinhyuk turned the can away from his mouth. “If you do it like that, you’re going to cut your lip. You’re too pretty for injuries, gosh.”

Wooseok hesitated, blinking up at the taller man. He wasn’t sure how to respond to the sudden remark. It seemed Jinhyuk wasn’t speaking to get a reaction out of Wooseok (and Wooseok really didn’t know what to do with that information). Jinhyuk took the can away from him and pushed the raw edges of aluminum inwards with his keys to make a blunt edge, safe enough for Wooseok. He handed it back to him with an encouraging smile. 

“Here,” he said. “This is a lot better. You won’t be guaranteed to bust your lip open like this.”

“But I can still bust my lip open?”

“Only if you’re an idiot, cutie.”

Wooseok pretended the flush on his cheeks was due to the heat in the house; being surrounded by so many people made the air around them hot. He was certain he wasn’t reacting to Jinhyuk’s flirty remark. Wooseok turned his head away as he brought the can back to his lips.

“Be careful, okay?” Jinhyuk instructed. He tilted his head back with his free hand on the tab of the can. They pulled the tab on Jinhyuk’s cue.

And Wooseok’s prediction was entirely correct.

He couldn’t do it. Not cleanly.

He wasn’t expecting the overwhelming rush of alcohol spilling into his mouth. He wasn’t expecting the _speed_ at which the liquid flowed out of the can. He managed to swallow half of the contents before his hand faltered and he nearly choked. Wooseok yelped and moved the can away from his lips. The liquid spilled from both ends of the can as Wooseok held it limply, helplessly watching as it poured down his shirt and onto the floor.

Jinhyuk was _laughing_. Wooseok looked at him, his eyes wide with helpless innocence. The taller man finished his can easily, the empty can was in his hand as he watched Wooseok.

“Do you need some—…?”

“Help?” he desperately whispered. Jinhyuk took the can from him and finished it for him.

“You’re adorable,” Jinhyuk said with a chuckle. He crushed the aluminum can in his left hand. Then, he ruffled Wooseok’s hair with the other hand. The younger man shot a glare at him.

“I told you I couldn’t do this,” he mumbled. “Now I have to go change. I’m soaked.”

Without a warning, Jinhyuk hooked an arm around Wooseok’s shoulder and pulled him flush against him, Wooseok’s back pressed to Jinhyuk’s chest. Wooseok squeaked in surprise. He rested his chin on Wooseok’s shoulder.

His lips were right against the shell of Wooseok’s ear. He whispered, “Do you need some help?”

Wooseok elbowed him in the stomach. Jinhyuk burst into laughter. He let Wooseok go.

“That hurt, Wooseok!” he whined. “I was kidding!”

Wooseok bolted up the stairs, his cheeks flushed red. 

Wooseok found Yohan lying down on the bed in the guest room when he finally made it up the stairs. Yohan was alone in the room. Wooseok was surprised to see his best friend all alone but it made sense when he realized that everyone else in the house was downstairs drinking. 

“Why are you all alone up here?” he asked. Yohan turned to look at him. The younger man scanned Wooseok’s drenched body and made a face. He scrunched up his nose.

“You look like a mess,” Yohan remarked. Wooseok rolled his eyes. “What happened to you?”

“Jinhyuk suggested that we both shotgun a beer,” Wooseok answered. “I made a mess.”

“That sounds exactly like you.”

Wooseok pulled his shirt over his head, balled it up in his hands and whipped it at his best friend. Yohan shrieked and barely dodged it. 

Then, wordlessly, Wooseok grabbed a change of clothes and disappeared into the washroom. He ignored Yohan’s loud screams of protest about how his shirt reeked of beer and how the sheets would smell of alcohol because of him. Yohan acted as if the whole house didn’t already smell of alcohol without the addition of Wooseok’s t-shirt. 

When he reappeared moments later, clean and changed, Yohan was waiting for him on the bed. The younger man was on his phone with his chin rested in his palm. 

“Did you get bored of the party downstairs?” he asked. Wooseok shrugged.

“I don’t really want to go back down,” he answered. He threw himself onto the bed next to Yohan. The younger man rolled over and tangled their limbs together. “I thought you would be down with everyone else, drinking.”

“I didn’t really feel like it today,” he said. “They’re probably going all night. I’ll join them later.”

Wooseok shrugged before he buried his face into the crook of his best friend’s neck. “Okay.”

“Hey,” Yohan called. Wooseok hummed. Yohan squirmed at the feeling of Wooseok’s hum against his skin. “Do you have pictures of that guy Seungyoun hyung is going on a date with?”

“Oh, right. You don’t know him,” Wooseok remarked. He ignored the way Yohan bitterly mumbled something about his best friends hiding stuff from him. Wooseok looked up and reached for Yohan’s phone. “We follow each other on Instagram, so you can probably find him if you look through my followers.”

He quickly pulled up the object of Cho Seungyoun’s affections on Yohan’s phone, opening the personal Instagram page of the boy he had shared a class with a while back. Lee Hangyul was gorgeous to an unreasonable degree and his photos only proved it. Yohan gasped.

“He’s going on a date with this guy?” Yohan asked. Wooseok nodded. 

“They met when I was studying with Hangyul in the library and I made Seungyoun bring me food,” he said. “Seungyoun has been into him since they met.”

Yohan scrolled. He zoomed in to a photo taken of Hangyul lying on the beach, shirtless and hot. 

Yohan gaped at the photo. “You said he was in my year?” he blinked hard at the photo, “Tell me why I’ve never seen this hot piece of _man_ on campus before?”

Wooseok snorted as he scrolled to the next photo. Wooseok lifted his head to look at Yohan in the eye, “Well, have you seen Seungwoo on campus before?”

“No,” Yohan replied. “I can’t believe it. I’m missing out on _men_.”

Wooseok rolled his eyes, “What have you been doing? Walking around with your eyes closed?”

The younger man gasped, offended. “Well, what about you? Your boyfriend is a walking pillar and you didn’t meet him until a couple of weeks ago!”

“Unlike you with all of your men, Yohan,” Wooseok said, “I don’t think Jinhyuk is a ‘hot piece of man’, so I don’t think we’re missing out on the same kind of thing here.”

Yohan elbowed him. Wooseok grunted.

The younger scrambled on the bed and sat up straight. Wooseok rested his chin on the younger man’s shoulder as he watched him open the group chat they shared with Seungyoun.

“What are you doing?” he asked. 

Yohan hushed him with a finger. His fingers flew over the keyboard. _Seungyoun hyung, your date is so hot. What the heck? Why didn’t you tell me?_

Wooseok snorted. The response from Seungyoun came quickly. _What? How do you know?_

_I’m on my date right now, please don’t message me. I don’t want to make a bad impression! Shouldn’t you be with Wooseok? _Seungyoun’s messages popped up in quick succession.

Wooseok laughed, “He’s texting you on his date. I can’t believe this.”

“Even you didn’t do this,” Yohan said. Wooseok shook his head.

“Be nice to him, he’s probably nervous.”

Yohan’s phone chimed again. _The movie is starting soon. Don’t text me._

Yohan’s fingers flew across the keyboard again. _Hold his hand for me after. Thanks!_

_If I hold his hand, it’s going to be for me! Not for you, Yohan!! Go play with Wooseok!_

They burst into laughter, giggles taking their breath away. Yohan buried his face into Wooseok’s arm as he giggled at Seungyoun’s response. 

There was a knock on the door. Wooseok looked up. He and Yohan looked at each other. They weren’t expecting any visitors at this hour but it was hard to judge when they were meant to be sharing a room with five other people. Yohan cleared his throat.

“Come in,” he called. 

The doorknob jostled. Yohan looked at Wooseok. 

With a sigh, Wooseok rolled off of the bed and walked across the room to open the door. He was caught by surprise as a drunken Jinhyuk stumbled into the room. He barely held himself up straight. Wooseok caught him. 

“Wooseok?” he mumbled as he wrapped his arms around the younger. Jinhyuk nuzzled his face into Wooseok’s hair, “I was looking for you.”

“You found me,” Wooseok answered, weakly. 

“I found you,” Jinhyuk echoed, his words came out as a slur.

Wooseok took a step backwards and Yohan was suddenly by his side. The younger man helped drag Jinhyuk closer to the bed so Wooseok could drop him onto the soft surface. Jinhyuk fell against the bed with a soft grunt. “Why were you looking for me?”

Jinhyuk didn’t answer him. He rolled over on the bed and grasped at the air, blindly. Confused, Wooseok offered him his hand. Jinhyuk took it. He entwined their fingers, smiling stupidly. 

Wooseok’s heart might have skipped a beat but he figured Jinhyuk hadn’t the slightest idea what he was doing. _He was still looking for you, though,_ a quiet voice in Wooseok’s head whispered. Wooseok ignored it.

Wooseok studied him, “How long did I leave you alone for? What happened?”

Yohan looked at him, worried. 

Wooseok inhaled. He turned to look at his best friend.

“Can you go get some water for him?” he asked. There was a concern in his eyes. Yohan nodded his head and ran out of the room in search of a water bottle.

“Honestly,” Wooseok sighed, mostly speaking to himself, “who found you?”

It was a little awkward to hold hands with Jinhyuk when Wooseok was still on his feet, standing close to the bed. Uncomfortable with their position, Wooseok attempted to loosen his fingers from Jinhyuk’s to shift. The older man’s grip was tight. Wooseok frowned.

“Hey,” he called as he tried to coax his hand from Jinhyuk’s tight grip. His voice was soft, almost unwilling to disturb Jinhyuk who looked so peaceful lying on the bed. His eyes had fluttered shut at some point. Jinhyuk responded to his soft call with a quiet grunt. Wooseok sighed, “Can I get comfortable? You can hold my hand after I get comfortable.”

Through bleary eyes, Jinhyuk looked at him. He frowned but let go of Wooseok’s hand. He shifted on the bed to make space for Wooseok. The younger man moved to seat himself on the bed. Jinhyuk immediately plopped his head into his lap. The drunken man held his hand out for Wooseok to link their fingers again.

Sighing, Wooseok entwined their fingers.

The door opened. Yohan came back with a water bottle in his hands. The younger man looked terribly concerned about Jinhyuk’s well-being. And if Wooseok weren’t entirely used to doing things like this for Yohan, he would be on the verge of breaking down, too.

“Is he okay?” Yohan asked. Wooseok laughed softly, a mix of disbelief and amusement.

“He’s fine,” he answered. “He’ll be fine. He’s just a little beyond… tipsy.”

“Am I like this?” Yohan asked him as he crawled onto the bed next to them. He frowned. “When I’m drunk? Do I do this to you, too?”

Wooseok tilted his head. Jinhyuk was already passed out in his lap. He ran his free hand through Jinhyuk’s hair, his eyebrows furrowed in a mixture of concern and thought. “The hand-holding or laying in my lap part? Or the overall annoying factor?”

“Both.”

“You’re always annoying,” he chuckled, shaking his head. Yohan pouted at the response. “You only lay in my lap, though. You don’t try to hold my hand.”

“I couldn’t even hold your hand if I wanted to,” Yohan retorted. He crossed his arms over his chest with a huff, “That’s Jinhyuk hyung’s job, now.”

Wooseok made a face. “I guess it is, isn’t it?”

Yohan smiled at him. There was a glimmer of mischief somewhere underneath the curious gaze and kind smile. Wooseok knew Yohan better than to think that he didn’t have anything planned to follow his statement. And for the millionth time since their friendship formed, Yohan only proved Wooseok’s prediction correct.

“So, you haven’t told me how you ended up together.”

_Wooseok barely knew how they ended up together, frankly._

“It’s complicated,” Wooseok settled to say instead of trying to explain. As if perfectly on cue to avoid the conversation, Jinhyuk groaned in his sleep and rolled over in Wooseok’s lap. The younger man steadied him with his hands. “Now isn’t the time for this discussion.”

Yohan perched his chin into his palm and studied the pair for a moment: Jinhyuk was lying comfortably in Wooseok lap, drunk. They were holding hands even though Jinhyuk was knocked out cold. Wooseok’s free hand continued to card through Jinhyuk’s dark hair. After a first date and a week in between, the development seemed almost strange.

“What are you thinking about?” Wooseok interrupted his thoughts.

“You,” Yohan answered, “and him.”

The younger man shrugged his shoulders.

“I should probably leave you two alone for a while,” he said, suddenly. Yohan was smiling.

Wooseok looked confused. He blinked at his best friend, “Why?”

“What am I going to do here?” Yohan asked as his playful smile grew on his lips, “I’m just sitting here feeling like a third-wheel to a drunken man and his boyfriend. It’s fine. I’ll go find someone to bother.”

Wooseok swatted at him weakly with his free hand. Yohan rolled off the bed.

“Go find your boyfriend,” Wooseok jabbed. Yohan’s cheeks flushed as he ran to the door.

“I’m going to go make him fall in love with me!” he declared, his flustered state somehow building the false courage and confidence. Wooseok snorted as the door slammed shut behind Yohan’s escape.

“Good luck,” he muttered under his breath.

Yohan’s exit left Jinhyuk and Wooseok alone. The silence settled between them, Jinhyuk breathing softly as he laid in Wooseok’s lap. And he would later blame the way his eyes suddenly moved to study each curve of Jinhyuk’s face on the fact that he had nothing else to do. _He was trapped under Jinhyuk, what else was he to do?_

_Jinhyuk was pretty_—sharp features and the gentlest curves on his face. Wooseok’s eyes moved. Jinhyuk’s lashes were long, _beautiful even._ His eyes moved again, and in a moment where he suddenly lost control of his own conscious, Wooseok’s eyes lingered on Jinhyuk’s lips; plush, soft-looking and slightly parted with each breath.

Suddenly, Wooseok felt too aware of their distance, of the way Jinhyuk’s hand was holding onto his as he peacefully slept; warm and soft. Wooseok inhaled sharply. He smacked himself softly with his free hand.

“Get a hold of yourself, Kim Wooseok,” he muttered.

Jinhyuk stirred in his sleep. Wooseok held his breath.

“What time is it?” came Jinhyuk’s soft murmur. He shifted in Wooseok’s lap.

It took Wooseok a second to register the fact that Jinhyuk was awake. His eyes were still closed but he was awake. Wooseok immediately dropped his hand from his cheek, eyes wide.

He cleared his throat. Wooseok glanced at the clock on the nightstand.

“You’ve been asleep for about fifteen minutes,” he replied. “It’s ten-thirty.”

Wooseok couldn’t tell if Jinhyuk knew who he was at this point—he wasn’t sure if this sleepy Jinhyuk remembered that his significantly-more-drunk form came looking for Wooseok just a half-hour ago. Jinhyuk groaned when he tried to open his eyes, immediately deciding that it was too bright in the room for his eyes to be open. He rolled to bury his face back into Wooseok’s lap, unwilling to let light hit his eyes.

Wooseok couldn’t help the soft giggle that escaped his lips from the sight. _Cute._

“Let’s go on a walk, Jinhyuk,” Wooseok urged, he gently nudged the older man lying in his lap. “Let’s sober you up a bit more before you go back to sleep.”

“A walk?” Jinhyuk asked, eyes blurry when he opened them again. He turned to look at Wooseok, rubbing his eyes adorably (though Wooseok would never admit it aloud). “I’m tired.”

“I know,” he replied. He ran his fingers through the older man’s hair, “You’ll feel better after you drink some water and have some fresh air. I’ll come with you, okay?”

Jinhyuk grinned in his drunken stupor as soon as Wooseok’s fingers touched his scalp. He closed his eyes again, letting himself melt into the touch. “We’re going outside?”

“We’re going to take a walk along the shore,” Wooseok told him. “You’re not going to sleep like this. I’m not going to risk having my fake boyfriend throw up in his sleep and die.”

“We’re walking along the shore together?” Jinhyuk looked up at him. He looked stupid. Wooseok scrunched up his nose.

“Yes.”

Jinhyuk continued to stare at him with the stupid smile on his lips. Wooseok furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head. He pursed his lips.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You’re the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen,” Jinhyuk answered. Wooseok felt a sudden thud in his chest. He was used to compliments—_this was weird._

“Thank you,” he said, weakly.

Jinhyuk beamed, “You’re welcome.”

Wooseok decided, at that moment, that he was much too sober to be dealing with a drunken Jinhyuk. Jinhyuk was a handful when he was drunk. Wooseok would give up taking care of a drunken Jinhyuk in exchange for taking care of several drunk Yohans.

_(At least Yohan didn’t make his heart feel weird things when he said something stupid)._

“Get up,” he said. “My legs are going numb. Let’s go on that walk.”

Jinhyuk peered at him, “Is it a date, gorgeous?”

Wooseok sighed. Suddenly, he was exhausted.

“Yes. Yes, Jinhyuk… it’s a date.”

The air outside was a little chilly, so close to the waterside. The late summer night carried a gentle breeze that carded through their hair and kissed the tip of their noses. Wooseok walked along the sandy shoreline with his hands folded behind his back. Jinhyuk walked closely beside him, a couple steps away but close enough for Wooseok to grab him if he stumbled. 

But the breeze helped to wake them up—Jinhyuk from his drunken stupor and Wooseok from his Jinhyuk-induced exhaustion. Jinhyuk was significantly soberer than he was the moment he had fallen on top of Wooseok at the door, he could form coherent sentences and he didn’t look like he was on the verge of passing out. Wooseok couldn’t be more grateful for the fact.

“The stars look pretty,” Wooseok mumbled to himself. He stopped to stare up at the night sky.

Jinhyuk stopped beside him. He looked up.

“You look—”

“Don’t,” Wooseok warned. “Don’t say it, you flirt.”

He would have taken the compliment in stride at any other time but tonight, Wooseok had enough of Jinhyuk making his heart feel strange. He shot the older man a glare.

Jinhyuk laughed and threw an arm over his shoulder. 

“Look at you,” he said, “you know me so well, now.”

A comfortable silence cast over them. They stood side by side, watching as the waves crawled up the sandy slope of the shoreline. Starlight above them, it might have been romantic if he was standing with someone who had a _real_ relationship with him. But whether or not it was real, Wooseok couldn’t stop the soft whisper in the back of his head from trying to tell him _it was nice to be here with Jinhyuk, here and now._

Wooseok shook his head, an attempt to clear his thoughts.

Jinhyuk looked at him with slight concern. “Is something wrong?”

Wooseok scrambled for words, a coherent excuse. He coughed.

“I’m a little bit disappointed that we’re by the beach but we never really got to do anything outside,” Wooseok said, hoping Jinhyuk bought it. “Everyone started drinking so early.”

It seemed Jinhyuk was oblivious—he had finally sobered up but he wasn’t perfect, still not sharp enough to pick up Wooseok’s slight awkwardness.

“Do you like the beach?” Jinhyuk asked. 

“I do,” he said, softly. The unexpected turn in the conversation had Wooseok glancing at Jinhyuk in slight confusion. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been by the water.”

“Don’t look at me like that,” Jinhyuk told him. “You said this was a date. And you told me that I have permission to ask you anything to get to know you on dates.”

_Did he remember that small detail?_ The familiar feeling in Wooseok’s chest returned. 

He swallowed, “Okay, fine.”

Jinhyuk smiled, satisfied. “When was the last time you were at the beach?”

“A couple of years ago,” Wooseok answered. “I went with Yohan before I started university.”

“Why didn’t you come back?”

Wooseok shrugged, “There wasn’t any chance. I didn’t have anyone to come with.”

He felt Jinhyuk’s gaze on him, studying him and his words. The older man didn’t speak but, over the sound of the wind whistling by them and the waves gently kissing the shore, he could hear the gears in Jinhyuk’s brain turning. Jinhyuk broke the silence between them.

“You should have told me,” he muttered. Wooseok looked at him, wordlessly. Jinhyuk was looking right at him. The older man suddenly turned away looking a little flustered.

He cleared his throat, quickly brushing off the topic.

“Do you want to go for a swim?” Jinhyuk asked, suddenly. “Right now?”

“I like being by the beach, Jinhyuk, but I’m not crazy enough to jump in the water in the middle of the night,” Wooseok said, frowning. “It’s probably freezing.”

“What if I pushed you in?”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Wooseok replied. Jinhyuk smiled.

“Oh?” There was a playful lilt in Jinhyuk’s tone that Wooseok missed entirely.

And before Wooseok could register what was happening, he stumbled.

_“Jinhyuk!” _Wooseok shrieked when Jinhyuk nudged him a little too roughly. 

He lost footing and fell back into the water. 

With a splash, cold water soaked his body; Wooseok was drenched.

Wooseok’s jaw dropped, realization sinking into him. He glared at Jinhyuk, deadly.

“You’re an asshole,” he gritted out. 

Jinhyuk bent down on the sand with a smile. He offered Wooseok a hand. Though he couldn’t find it in himself to be mad at that smile, the younger man huffed and pushed himself up and out of the water on his own, cold water dripping from his hair. “It’s so cold.”

As if his words were magic, Jinhyuk’s arms were suddenly wrapped around him, trying to pull him into a hug. Wooseok glowered at him, resisting Jinhyuk’s strength. 

“I’m wet,” he complained. “Get your hands off of me.”

“No,” Jinhyuk replied, simply. He chuckled, “I’m going to keep you warm.”

“You’re going to push me into the water, get me soaked and then hug me so that I’m warm?” he huffed as he wrung his shirt of water, “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s the middle of the night, there’s no one watching us. You’re going to get your clothes all wet.”

“You’re so cute,” Jinhyuk smiled. He unwrapped his arms from Wooseok’s body. The taller man held his hand out to him, “I’m sorry, okay? Here, hold my hand.”

“Why would I want to hold your hand?” Wooseok scoffed at him but reached to link their fingers, despite his words. He glared at Jinhyuk. “I don’t like you.”

Jinhyuk squeezed his hand with a laugh, “I like you, though.”

Wooseok scrunched up his nose.

“You can hate me after this weekend is over,” Jinhyuk said with a soft laugh. He squeezed Wooseok’s hand again, coaxing smile on his lips. “For now, you need to like me the most.”

“You suck,” Wooseok muttered. “I would have pulled you in.”

Jinhyuk chuckled, “Why didn’t you?”

“Do you want me to push you, now?”

“No. Let’s go back inside and get you all dried up.”

Wooseok let Jinhyuk drag him back into the house.

“I cannot believe he would _dare _do this to me.”

“Wooseok, I’m sure that he didn’t mean to do it,” Jinhyuk attempted to soothe Wooseok with soft words and a gentle hand rubbing his back. Wooseok was fuming.

The party had already ended by the time they got back into the house. Along with an infinite number of empty bottles scattered across the floor, an uncountable number of boys were passed out on the floor of the house, wasted. There was a boy Wooseok couldn’t remember the name of who was passed out on the stairs. He and Jinhyuk had to step over him as they walked up the stairs and down the hallway to Wooseok’s assigned room.

_Wooseok’s assigned room._ The room which was currently _locked_. The room Wooseok couldn’t get into despite it being _his _assigned room. And Wooseok’s mind immediately blamed it on his best friend. Only Yohan would be stupid enough to lock the door on him, his mind reasoned. 

Jinhyuk didn’t think so. _Jinhyuk_ wanted to protect Yohan from Wooseok’s wrath.

“I don’t think he locked you out, Wooseok.”

Wooseok narrowed his eyes at Jinhyuk, “How do you know?”

“I am absolutely certain that your best friend didn’t actually mean to lock you out,” he said. 

Wooseok glared at him. 

Jinhyuk sighed. He raised both his hands in defence, “Hey, I’m not the one who locked you out.”

Suddenly, Wooseok looked miserable. His lower lip jutted out in a pout and he hugged himself, looking small and innocent in the middle of the empty hallway. “I can’t even get a change of clothes,” he mumbled. 

Jinhyuk studied him for a moment, silent eyes scanning Wooseok’s figure. He took pity on him.

“Come,” he said. He took Wooseok’s hand back in his own. “Let’s go to my room. We’ll dry you off and I’ll lend you some clothes. You can sleep in my room with me tonight. There’s no point in staring at the door. We’re not going to get anything done standing here.”

Wooseok didn’t have any better ideas. He couldn’t argue. He followed Jinhyuk, his eyes downcast.

In silence, they walked down the hall towards Jinhyuk’s room—the room he was meant to share with the basketball team. Jinhyuk grabbed his bag and tugged Wooseok into the washroom with him. He shut the door behind them and flicked the lights on.

Wooseok stared at him helplessly as he pulled a towel out of his bag. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do when Jinhyuk looked so determined to do whatever he was doing. Before Wooseok could speak, Jinhyuk wordlessly threw it onto Wooseok’s head and dried his hair, fluffing up his dark locks with the soft towel.

Moments passed.

“… I can do it myself, you know?” Wooseok spoke softly. Jinhyuk shook his head.

“I’m already doing it,” he said. Jinhyuk was frowning, concentrated on drying Wooseok’s hair. “I feel bad for pushing you into the water. I shouldn’t have.”

Wooseok pursed his lips, “… it’s fine.”

Jinhyuk smiled at him, a soft smile. He looked relieved. Wooseok felt a strange jolt in his chest again, a strange reaction to Jinhyuk’s expression. Wooseok averted his eyes. Jinhyuk moved the towel and dabbed it gently against Wooseok’s skin, drying the water droplets which had trickled down from his wet hair. 

“There we go,” Jinhyuk whispered. His hands remained gently placed against Wooseok’s cheek, the warmth of his hand only guarded by the fluffy towel. When their eyes met, his hands dropped and he smiled, seemingly proud of his work. “You’re all dry, now.”

Wooseok bit back the small smile. “Am I? My clothes are still wet.”

Jinhyuk made a face at him, something alike to trying to look unimpressed but failing. Jinhyuk’s smile showed through his expression. (He looked cute but Wooseok brushed the thought away as soon as it came.) He bent down to dig through his bag.

“This is the only shirt I have,” he said. Wooseok studied the bright red shirt in Jinhyuk’s hands. 

His lips twisted into a frown of disdain when his eyes registered the print of their school mascot on the front of his shirt. He shook his head.

“I’m not wearing that.”

Jinhyuk blinked at him, “What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s a _meerkat shirt_.” It was almost seething. 

Jinhyuk looked between Wooseok and the shirt in his hands, the disbelief clearly painted on his expression. Wooseok made it clear, on several occasions, that he hated their school’s mascot. Jinhyuk really didn’t think it was so bad. He sighed.

“What are you going to wear if you don’t wear this?” Jinhyuk asked, “Your clothes are still soaked. You’re not going to go to sleep in those clothes.”

“That’s the only shirt you have?” he asked. Jinhyuk nodded. Wooseok raised his chin and looked Jinhyuk dead in the eye. “Nothing.” 

Shock seeped into Jinhyuk and showed clearly in the way his eyes widened. 

“Wooseok, _no_.”

Wooseok scoffed, he crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you mean _Wooseok, no_?” 

“You can’t wear nothing to sleep!”

Wooseok rolled his eyes, “Give me your shirt. You can wear this stupid shirt.”

“This one?” Jinhyuk looked down at the shirt he was wearing. His long, slender fingers tugged at the material of his t-shirt. He looked distressed, “But I’m wearing this shirt.”

“Then take it off,” Wooseok replied, simply. Jinhyuk choked.

“Wooseok, please,” he said, his voice suddenly a loud, desperate whisper. “You can’t just go to bed wearing nothing. The whole basketball team is here.”

“Give me your shirt,” he repeated. “I’m not wearing the dumb meerkat shirt.”

“Why not?” Jinhyuk said, “I know you hate our mascot but come on… why do you want mine?”

Wooseok stared at him. Jinhyuk met his eyes, unfazed by the deadly glare that usually had Yohan backing down. _It didn’t work on Jinhyuk. _

“I don’t want it if it isn’t yours,” Wooseok stated simply. For a brief moment, Jinhyuk looked shocked. His eyes widened and his lips parted slightly in a silent gasp.

“Are you using my own words against me?”

“Yes.”

Jinhyuk exhaled an obviously distressed sound. He dropped the meerkat shirt back into his bag and pulled his own shirt over his head. Caught by surprise, Wooseok turned his head and resisted the urge to stare as Jinhyuk took off his clothes. The taller man threw the soft t-shirt at him. Wooseok caught it before it fell. 

“Wear it,” he said. Jinhyuk turned to pick the red shirt back up to pull it over his head. “I’m not having you sleep naked. I’m not ready for that.”

Wooseok peeked at Jinhyuk to check that he was dressed. Then, he turned to look at him again.

Wooseok huffed, “What do you mean you’re not _ready_?”

Jinhyuk shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. When they made eye contact again, though, he winked at him. Wooseok narrowed his eyes but before he could say anything, Jinhyuk was headed towards the door. He turned to look at Wooseok over his shoulder.

“Get changed and dry yourself off,” Jinhyuk said, “then come to bed.”

Wooseok didn’t get an answer to his question before Jinhyuk disappeared.

Unwilling to be left alone for too long, Wooseok quickly changed into Jinhyuk’s shirt and carefully hung his damp shirt on the edge of the bathtub, hoping it would dry come morning. The shirt fell to his thighs—Wooseok hadn’t noticed how significant their height difference was until now. He glanced at himself in the mirror. He was drowning in Jinhyuk’s clothes.

Though it was unflattering in his eyes, Wooseok figured it didn’t matter too much. They were just going to be sleeping. He would be able to change into his own clothes in the morning (when Yohan finally unlocked the door to their bedroom).

Wooseok peeked out of the bathroom and scanned the bedroom. Jinhyuk was hard to miss when he was the only person still seated on his futon on the floor.

There weren’t enough beds for everyone on the basketball team to have their own, Wooseok noted. He remembered both Jinhyuk and Yohan telling him this fact, though. But he hadn’t paid very much attention when Jinhyuk dragged him in earlier. When he surveyed the master bedroom, he noticed all the other boys had to share their small futons with one another.

Yohan had briefed him on the layout of the master bedroom when they moved their stuff in and unpacked. Jinhyuk told Yohan that Seungwoo was meant to share the queen-sized bed in the room with three other boys. Now, when he looked at the only real bed in the room, he noticed that Seungwoo was missing. Instead of the team captain sprawled on the bed with three other boys as planned, Seungwoo was nowhere to be found and was substituted with five very drunk boys piled on top of one another.

Wooseok took a seat on the floor next to Jinhyuk.

“You really look like a bunch of high school kids on an overnight field trip in this room.”

“We’re a team,” Jinhyuk replied with an amused smile. “We make it work together.”

Wooseok rolled his eyes. Jinhyuk studied him with careful eyes for a moment.

“Sit on the bed,” Jinhyuk told him. “There’s a lot of space.”

Wooseok hesitated. “Are you really okay with sleeping with me?”

The taller man laughed. He raised a brow, “Do you want to sleep on the floor?”

“You wouldn’t offer to do it for me?” Wooseok asked, teasingly.

Jinhyuk fell back on the mattress with a hum. He patted the space next to him.

“Come here,” he said. “Neither of us are going to sleep on the floor.”

Wooseok stayed still.

Jinhyuk reached for his wrist. With a surprising amount of strength, he pulled Wooseok to fall onto the bed next to him. The younger man landed with a soft gasp. Jinhyuk wrapped his arms around him to keep him in place, warm and comfortable. Wooseok froze.

_“Stay,” _he murmured. Wooseok felt his heart pounding in his chest, his cheeks felt like they were heating up. He hoped the darkness hid the colour on his face. “You’re going to wake everyone up if you keep trying to argue with me. I don’t want you to destroy your back when you have to drive us home in the morning.”

Wooseok fell silent, Jinhyuk’s words had him surrendering.

“Okay,” he mumbled. He could feel Jinhyuk’s smile.

The older man placed a careful hand behind Wooseok’s head, his fingers carded into Wooseok’s hair. He pulled him a little closer.

“Sleep,” Jinhyuk whispered. “I won’t have a chance to take care of you like this again.”

(Wooseok wasn’t certain he could fall asleep with his heartbeat sounding so loud in his ears.)

Wooseok woke up to three highly unfamiliar things. The first was the unfamiliar ceiling above him that told him he wasn’t in his bedroom nor was he anywhere in the apartment he shared with Yohan. The second unfamiliar thing was the warmth wrapped around his waist and pressed against his back. And the most unfamiliar (and most-definitely-most-uncomfortable) was the fact that there was a terribly familiar pair of eyes staring at him from across the room. _Jackson’s._

Wooseok tried to sit up. He failed, unable to push his weight up with the arms wrapped around his waist. He turned his head, cheeks flushed. _Ah, Jinhyuk. Right._

He helplessly stared at the ceiling as a wave of embarrassment washed over him. Wooseok wanted to bury himself back under the blanket and hide. He settled for covering his face with his hands to avoid Jackson’s gaze, instead.

“Good morning,” Jackson greeted. The teasing edge in his voice was obvious.

Wooseok groaned. He wished Jinhyuk were awake to steer them away from this conversation (but a part of him told himself that the awkward conversation about waking up in each other’s arms could really wait).

After a moment of silence (and contemplation of his life), Wooseok echoed it.

“Good morning.”

There was the soft thud of Jackson’s feet hitting the floor as he climbed off the bed. He had his arms folded behind his back and his eyes twinkled with mischief as he looked down at Wooseok. Still tangled in Jinhyuk’s arms, Wooseok uncomfortably shifted.

“Did you two sleep well?” Jackson asked, his lips curved into a wicked smile. “I see that you decided to sleep _together_.”

“We did,” Wooseok answered, weakly. Something in his mind insisted for him to scramble to find an excuse even though they were meant to be a couple. Wooseok added, “The other bedroom was locked…”

“That’s good,” Jackson beamed. The fraternity president ignored Wooseok’s desperate excuse, “You both looked very comfortable.”

A strange feeling settled in Wooseok’s gut—worry. He shifted his eyes.

“Please don’t tell me that you’ve been watching us this whole time,” Wooseok whispered.

“Don’t worry, I wasn’t watching you sleep,” Jackson laughed. He shrugged his shoulders, “I’ve only been here for a few minutes. I was supposed to wake you guys up for breakfast.”

Wooseok stared blankly at the ceiling.

“Seungwoo and Yohan went out to buy some food for all of us, earlier,” Jackson continued. 

Wooseok nodded.

“Okay,” he said. “Are we the last ones to wake up?”

Jackson shook his head, “I have a couple more people to wake up.”

“Okay, you go do that. I’ll wake Jinhyuk up.”

Jackson beamed, “Thanks. He would much rather his cute boyfriend wake him up than _me_.”

Wooseok rolled his eyes. He glanced at Jinhyuk’s sleeping figure. The older man shifted and pulled him closer. It elicited a nervous laugh from Wooseok’s lips. Jackson looked entirely too pleased with the scene unfolding before him.

He waved goodbye to Wooseok before he turned to leave the room.

Suddenly, something struck Wooseok. 

“… wait, Jackson!” Wooseok called. Jackson looked back at him.

“Yeah?”

“Where did Seungwoo sleep last night?”

Jackson blinked at him, confused. Jackson tilted his head, “He wasn’t here?”

Wooseok shook his head. Jackson shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know,” he replied. “I think I woke up after him. I saw him come out of the guest room with Yohan, though. Maybe he slept there?”

Something flipped inside of Wooseok’s head—a determination to murder his best friend in cold blood. Jackson was completely oblivious to the rage boiling inside of Wooseok. He left him alone (in Jinhyuk’s arms). 

“I’m going to kill him,” Wooseok muttered under his breath.

It might have been too loud because Jinhyuk suddenly moved beside him, pulled away from his deep slumber. The taller man shifted onto his back with a quiet groan and attempted to tug Wooseok’s warmth with him. The younger man turned his head to look at him, the sudden burst of annoyance immediately dissipating into thin air. 

“Jinhyuk,” he whispered, “Jinhyuk, we have to get up.”

Jinhyuk groaned. He buried his face into the crook of Wooseok’s neck, displeased. He pulled Wooseok flush against him and mustered up enough energy to shake his head.

“… no, five more minutes,” he mumbled. 

It would have been incoherent if Wooseok wasn’t listening for a response. 

“Jinhyuk,” he tried again, his voice soft, “We have to get some breakfast and go.”

Jinhyuk whined. His grip on Wooseok stayed.

With a heavy breath, Wooseok relented. His hands gently patted the hands Jinhyuk had wrapped around his waist. He stared up at the ceiling, mildly distressed at the way his chest bloomed with an unexplained warmth at Jinhyuk’s reaction. 

“… okay, five more minutes.”

“We didn’t sleep together!” Yohan cried. “He was just there! Hyung, I didn’t!”

Yohan leaned against the windshield of Jinhyuk’s car, hands clasped together as he desperately pleaded for Wooseok to believe him. The older man crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in the driver’s seat. 

He raised his sunglasses to perch them atop his head and he narrowed his eyes at him.

“Did you sleep in the same bed?”

Yohan swallowed, “Well, yes. But we didn’t do anything!”

“So, you’re trying to tell me that you didn’t lock the bedroom door because you were trying to get laid last night?” Wooseok studied his best friend’s panicked expression. Yohan shook his head.

“I didn’t lock the door!” he insisted. “There were a lot of other people who came in after me!”

“You didn’t have sex, then?”

“Hyung, I met him yesterday!” he said, “I wouldn’t give in that quickly!”

Wooseok’s façade cracked. His lips tugged into an amused smile. 

“I’ve taught you well,” he teased. Yohan smacked his arm playfully. He pouted.

“Seungwoo hyung isn’t like that,” he mumbled.

“Good,” Wooseok replied. “I won’t have my best friend crushing on someone like that.”

Yohan giggled. He reached to hug Wooseok from over the windshield. Wooseok dodged him but Yohan was quicker and too used to Wooseok’s insistence on avoiding his affections. Yohan wrapped his arms around him with a cheeky smile.

“I love you, hyung,” he cooed. Wooseok rolled his eyes.

“Get off me, you brat.”

Yohan refused. They stayed like that for a moment, hugging over the side of Jinhyuk’s convertible. Then, something clicked in Yohan’s mind.

“Wait, hyung,” Yohan started.

“What?”

“If the door was locked, where did you sleep last night?”

Wooseok hesitated. He cleared his throat. 

“Um,” he averted his eyes. “With Jinhyuk?”

Yohan’s lips curved into a wicked smile. “_Oooh_, you slept with _Jinhyuk hyung_?”

“Shut up,” Wooseok hissed. “I had no choice.”

Yohan smiled at him, innocently. The younger man fluttered his lashes obnoxiously.

“I’m going to punch you in the face.”

Yohan giggled. 

“Your boyfriend’s coming,” he teased. Wooseok turned his head in a panic.

Jinhyuk was approaching the car with their bags in his hands. He threw them into the backseat.

“Are we ready to go?” he asked, smiling. He looked at them, his eyes lingered on Wooseok’s face for a little too long. He was completely oblivious of the atmosphere around them but he looked happy. 

Their eyes met. Wooseok looked away.

“We’re just waiting on you,” he replied.

Yohan let go of Wooseok. He stood up straight and straightened out his clothing. Wooseok would have punched him in the face for the smug expression if he could reach him.

_“Jinhyuk hyung,” _Yohan beamed. He gestured to the passenger seat beside Wooseok. The younger man slinked into the backseat with a cheeky smile on his lips, “You can sit beside Wooseok hyung.”

Jinhyuk looked confused. He opened his mouth to speak and Wooseok glared at him.

“If you were ready for a fight with him, you’re not getting it,” he said.

Jinhyuk gaped at him. Wooseok lowered his sunglasses and started the car.

“Get in, loser.”

The trip to the beach house with Beta Theta Iota was a good distraction from the onslaught of final exams awaiting Wooseok’s return to Seoul. His exams were evenly spaced out but he found himself locked in the library for the week after he returned from the beach. Between his study breaks and endless hours of studying, Jinhyuk bombarded his phone with text messages. Fifteen-minute study breaks would be spent answering Jinhyuk and updating Yohan to assure his best friend that he was still alive and well.

Wooseok’s concentration on the books in front of him snapped when his stomach growled. He groaned, head falling into the open textbook in front of him. He winced when his glasses dug into the bridge of his nose. Wooseok lifted his head to rub at the injury. He frowned.

Then, Wooseok’s phone buzzed. 

A text message from Jinhyuk. _I see you! Come sit with us!_

Wooseok turned his head, his eyes searched the library to look for Jinhyuk. He found the taller man sitting at a nearby table, waving at him. Jinhyuk was seated across a red-haired boy. Wooseok frowned when he and Jinhyuk made eye contact. Jinhyuk beamed at him. He motioned for him to move everything over to their table. 

He needed to pack everything up to get something to eat, anyway. He supposed that dropping by Jinhyuk’s table for a while wouldn’t hurt him. He had already been starving for hours before his stomach decided to impatiently remind him. He would be okay for a little bit longer.

Wooseok closed his textbook and placed it into his backpack. 

He moved over to Jinhyuk’s table.

Jinhyuk’s eyes were bright and excited as Wooseok approached their table. He pulled out a chair for Wooseok to take a seat. The boy sitting with him turned his head to look at Wooseok. Wooseok offered him a timid smile and the boy dropped his pen to wave at him. _Cute._

“Hi!” Jinhyuk greeted. Wooseok nodded at him.

“Hi,” he replied. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m helping him study for one of his finals,” Jinhyuk said as he gestured to the boy sitting across from him and the flashcards on the table. “Wooseok, this is Eunsang!” 

Wooseok gave Jinhyuk a look, amusement flickering in his eyes. “This is Eunsang?” he pursed his lips. “He’s cute. You were right.”

Jinhyuk glared at him. Eunsang remained oblivious to their exchange, happily staring them.

“Eunsang, this is Wooseok,” Jinhyuk told him. “He’s my…”

Wooseok glanced at him, brow raised. “Boyfriend,” he finished for him. Jinhyuk looked surprised but he didn’t argue it. Wooseok smiled, “I’m his boyfriend.”

“Oh, I know you!” The red-haired boy, Eunsang, widened his eyes in excitement. He clapped his hands together lightly with a bright smile on his lips, “We’re in the same class!”

Wooseok furrowed his brows. “We are?”

Eunsang nodded happily. He beamed, “Yeah! You gave a really good PowerPoint presentation a couple of weeks ago in _Marine Biology_!” A pause to breathe. “Aren’t we in the same program, hyung? Can I call you hyung?”

“Oh,” Wooseok blinked. “Oh, sorry. No, I’m not majoring in _Marine Biology_. Sorry, we’re not in the same program.” Eunsang frowned, suddenly looking terribly crestfallen. Wooseok cleared his throat, “But you can call me ‘hyung’ if it makes you happy, sure.”

Eunsang rested his elbows on the table and cupped his chin with his hands. He grinned.

“Jinhyuk hyung keeps talking about you,” he said. Jinhyuk looked away.

Wooseok raised an eyebrow, “Has he?”

Eunsang nodded. He looked too innocent to be scolded for exposing Jinhyuk. Wooseok found amusement in the way Jinhyuk avoided his eyes despite the tips of his ears turning a bright red as Eunsang continued to speak. “Yup! He’s been staring at his phone since we got here and wondering why _‘Wooseok hasn’t been answering’_!”

“Eunsang,” Jinhyuk groaned. “I didn’t say it like that.”

“Yes, you did,” Eunsang grinned. “You just couldn’t hear yourself!”

Wooseok giggled behind his hand. He tilted his head, “Did you miss me, Jinhyuk?”

Jinhyuk covered his face with his hands. He sighed.

“I always miss you,” he replied. Wooseok laughed and he ignored the warmth spreading in his chest again (slowly, it was becoming more and more familiar).

“You should,” Wooseok chimed. He looked at the flashcards on the desk and then up at Eunsang. “I didn’t know Jinhyuk knew anything about _Marine Biology_.”

Eunsang shrugged, “He doesn’t. I wrote the answers on his side of the cards.”

“I just have to ask him the questions and check that his answer is right!” Jinhyuk defended himself looking flustered. Wooseok snorted. “He’s been doing well!”

“Our exam is on Thursday,” Wooseok said. “You can ask me if you need any help, Eunsang. I know the material pretty well.”

Eunsang’s eyes sparkled. He nodded his head, “Really? Can I have your number, hyung?”

Wooseok held out his hand for Eunsang’s phone. The younger man excitedly handed it to him. Wooseok punched in his number and handed it back to him. When he looked up, there were two boys standing behind Eunsang waiting for him—Wooseok recognized them as boys he’d seen in his _Marine Biology_ class a few times before.

“Thanks, hyung! I have to go, now!” Eunsang said. He took his flashcards back from Jinhyuk.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the red-headed boy and his friends were gone.

There was silence between them.

Jinhyuk turned to look at Wooseok. He frowned.

“You gave him your number so easily,” Jinhyuk jabbed him in the side. Wooseok shrugged.

“Are you jealous?”

Jinhyuk huffed, “Definitely.”

“This is why I told you that you should take him on a date instead,” Wooseok remarked. “I’m such a pain in the ass, aren’t I?”

Jinhyuk shoved him, playfully. Wooseok laughed.

“So,” Jinhyuk started. Wooseok glanced at him. “We’re continuing this whole thing, huh?”

Wooseok shrugged his shoulders.

“We could also break up,” Wooseok replied. “But I’m having fun.”

Jinhyuk leaned against the table with an amused smile. He chuckled.

“I told you I’m not going to be the one to break up with you.”

“So then, _boyfriend_,” Wooseok’s eyes twinkled, “will you take me out for lunch?”

_Wooseok, I have something important to ask you! _Jinhyuk texted him early in the morning, a week after he took him out for lunch. Wooseok’s phone chimed and the familiar heart popped up onto his screen as he rolled over in bed. For Wooseok, summer vacation started with late nights, late mornings, and an infinite number of naps. He had to catch up on an uncountable number of sleeping hours he’d missed out on while studying (read: cramming) for his finals.

The semester ended and Wooseok hadn’t been expecting Jinhyuk to contact him over the break. It turned out that Jinhyuk had different plans. He supposed it made sense—they were still doing the whole fake dating thing. Jinhyuk had the right to summon him at any moment to act as the _best_ fake boyfriend in the world. 

Still, Wooseok groaned at the mere concept of needing to move before noon.

He shot the older man a quick response. _What is it?_

Jinhyuk replied quickly. _Can I meet you somewhere? I want to ask you in person._

Wooseok stared at his phone. He couldn’t imagine what Jinhyuk needed to tell him that would warrant meeting up with him in person. He was certain that nothing could be so serious, at least not between him and Jinhyuk. A moment of thought conjured nothing. Wooseok replied to the text message in agreement, deciding he had nothing to lose. He quickly followed up the text with his address. He wasn’t willing to leave the apartment for a conversation with Jinhyuk.

_Is that your house?_ came Jinhyuk’s text. Wooseok replied to that with a cheeky sticker.

He threw off his covers and rolled out of bed. Wooseok poked his head out of his room, searching for his roommate. Yohan was nowhere to be seen but Wooseok figured that yelling into the void of his apartment was enough to catch the younger man’s attention.

He did exactly that.

“Hey! Jinhyuk is coming over!” he yelled out. Instead of Yohan responding to his shout, Seungyoun immediately peeked up from behind the sofa, eyes widened in interest. Wooseok looked at him. “What?”

“He’s coming over?” he asked. Wooseok blinked.

“Isn’t that what I just said?”

“When you’re dressed like that?”

Wooseok looked down at his clothes. A worn-out yellow t-shirt and printed pyjama shorts. He didn’t look entirely presentable but he didn’t think Jinhyuk would really care. He frowned.

“What’s wrong with it?”

Seungyoun shook his head, displeased. “You need to look like you’re effortlessly trying to impress him, Wooseok. You need to look good!”

Wooseok rolled his eyes, “I do look good, Seungyoun. My face looks good.”

“Please go change into something nicer before he gets here. You don’t want him to think you just crawled out of bed, do you?”

“I did, though.”

“Wooseok!” Seungyoun fell back on the sofa, distressed. “At least change your shirt. That shirt has gone through at least five of my drunken late-night sobbing sessions.”

Wooseok glared at his friend but slinked back into the privacy of his bedroom to change his clothes. And by the time he returned to the living room, dressed more appropriately for welcoming impending visitors, Yohan was on the sofa with Seungyoun already caught up on the fact that they would be having a visitor in the apartment. _Someone other than Seungyoun. _They both had dumb smiles on their faces.

“I hate you both,” Wooseok declared as he walked to the kitchen to make breakfast before Jinhyuk arrived.

Yohan immediately cried out from the sofa, “No! You love us! I just bought more ramen!”

Wooseok laughed, “Okay. I only love you, Yohan.”

“Only Yohan?” Seungyoun narrowed his eyes. “What about your boyfriend? The one who is coming over in a bit?”

Wooseok frowned. “Love is a strong word, guys.”

With a quick look to one another, his friends dropped the topic.

It slipped Wooseok’s mind that Jinhyuk lived three blocks from his place. They were close to one another and he should have expected to arrive sooner than he did. Jinhyuk’s long legs surely could have shortened the walk into half its normal time. The intercom buzzed loudly to announce his arrival. Wooseok nearly burned his throat with the ramen he was inhaling as he scrambled to run to the front door.

Yohan was faster. The younger man was by the door, greeting Jinhyuk with a cheeky smile and bright eyes. Wooseok ducked back into the kitchen to make himself look more presentable. He could hear them speaking by the door.

“Hi, hyung,” he said. Jinhyuk smiled at him albeit a little awkwardly. He raised a hand to wave.

“Hi, Yohan,” he replied. “Um, where’s Wooseok?”

“He’s in the kitchen,” Yohan answered. The younger man shuffled out of the doorway. He beamed, “Come in, stay awhile.”

“Yohan!” Wooseok shouted from the kitchen, “Stop being creepy to our guest!”

Jinhyuk laughed, “He’s good!”

“Hi, we haven’t met,” came Seungyoun’s voice from behind the sofa. He poked up and offered his hand to Jinhyuk. “You must be Wooseokkie’s beloved boyfriend. He never stops talking about you.”

“He doesn’t—?”

“Seungyoun, stop _lying_ to our guest,” Wooseok rushed out from the kitchen to steer Jinhyuk away from Seungyoun. “You don’t need to meet this one. He’s a pain in the ass and he’s about to get himself kicked out of this apartment.”

“I’m Seungyoun,” Seungyoun grinned. “I loiter in their apartment so I can play on their Switch but I’m the best of us.”

Wooseok rolled his eyes. Jinhyuk laughed.

“It’s nice to meet you, Seungyoun,” he chuckled, “but I think _Wooseokkie_ is the best one. I might be biased.”

“That’s enough.” The tips of Wooseok’s ears were flushed red, a result of the smothering nickname coming from Jinhyuk’s lips. He looked over to Jinhyuk. “Let’s go to my room,” Wooseok told him. 

As he spoke, his hand took Jinhyuk’s wrist and he made a beeline to his bedroom. His friends peered at them curiously as Wooseok walked away from the sofa and opened the door to his room.

The door clicked shut behind them. 

“I apologized for them,” he said. Jinhyuk laughed.

“I like your friends.”

Wooseok rolled his eyes and immediately pulled Jinhyuk over to his desk, the furthest they could get away from the door. With a glance to the taller man’s confused expression, Wooseok offered an apologetic smile.

“They’re listening,” he explained and tilted his head in the direction of the door.

He seated himself on the desk and offered Jinhyuk the swivelling desk chair. Jinhyuk obediently sat down on the chair in front of him.

“How do you know?” Jinhyuk asked. Wooseok rolled his eyes with a soft laugh.

“They’re my best friends,” he replied. “They wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to listen in. And they’re not very sneaky.”

Jinhyuk’s lips tugged into an amused smile. He shook his head.

Wooseok crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head.

“So, what is it that you wanted to ask me?” he asked. Jinhyuk’s expression changed, suddenly serious. 

“Oh, right,” he mumbled. He looked up at Wooseok. “The semester is over and I’m going back to my hometown for a while. I was wondering if you… wanted to come with me?”

Wooseok blinked. “Me?”

“Yeah, you.” Jinhyuk scratched the back of his head, nervous. “Um, my high school friends heard rumours about how I was dating someone here in Seoul. They really want to meet you.”

“But we’re not actually dating, Jinhyuk,” Wooseok remarked. His confused tone struck something in Jinhyuk’s mind because the older man immediately looked away from him. “You don’t have to take me home.”

Jinhyuk chuckled. It sounded shy and unsure—a laugh to brush off the uncomfortable air around them. Jinhyuk clasped his hands together in his lap and he chewed on his lower lip, pondering his words.

“I know,” he replied. “We’re not actually dating. I don’t have to do this, you don’t have to do this.”

“That sounds like you want to add _‘but’_ to the end of that sentence,” Wooseok said.

Whatever shyness and insecurity in Jinhyuk’s head suddenly vanished. He looked up at him with serious eyes.

“But I want to introduce my family to the prettiest boy I’ve ever met,” Jinhyuk said.

Wooseok kicked the chair with a snort and Jinhyuk spun away from him. With a laugh, Jinhyuk pulled himself back to the desk and trapped Wooseok on the desk. He pulled the chair as close to the desk as possible and Jinhyuk slotted himself between Wooseok’s legs. He rested his arms on Wooseok’s thighs. Jinhyuk peered up at him with a smile.

“Wooseok,” Jinhyuk’s hands were warm against his thighs. _“Please?”_

“I don’t know, Jinhyuk,” Wooseok replied. His eyes scanned the older man’s expression.

There was something soft in Jinhyuk’s eyes, something gentle, something unreadable. Wooseok couldn’t put a name to the glimmer in Jinhyuk’s eyes but it was something that had his heart twinge. 

“Have you ever been to Bucheon?” Jinhyuk asked, softly. His hands gently squeezed Wooseok’s thigh. “It’s so close by, I know… but it’s where I grew up.”

Wooseok looked at him for a long moment, quiet. The way Jinhyuk looked at him had his hands naturally reacting. His hands moved and he gently cupped Jinhyuk’s cheek with his hand. Jinhyuk didn’t flinch away from the touch. Wooseok remained silent as he studied his eyes.

“You want me to see where you grew up?”

Jinhyuk laughed, soft and breathless. “I would like it if you came with me.”

“Why?”

“Just think of it as another date.”

“Another date,” Wooseok repeated, “except I’m going to be lying to your family.”

“Well,” Jinhyuk shrugged his shoulders. His hands fell from their position against Wooseok’s thighs into his own lap, he looked down. Wooseok’s fingers gently slid under Jinhyuk’s chin and lifted his face, making Jinhyuk look at him. He looked almost shy. “They already think we’re dating. You’re playing along to a role they already think is real.”

“And you don’t want to tell them that we broke up?”

Jinhyuk laughed. “Do you want me to?”

“So, you don’t.”

Jinhyuk fell silent for a moment. There was something unreadable in his eyes—that same look from earlier.

“If I wanted to tell them that we broke up and get it over with, Wooseok,” Jinhyuk said, quietly, “I really wouldn’t be here asking you to come home with me for a weekend.”

Wooseok remained silent. Jinhyuk shifted in his seat.

“I’ll take you on the best date you’ve ever been on,” he said. He looked sincere. His eyes searched Wooseok’s. “A real date. Another one. I’ll show you around the city and take you to do fun things. Meeting my family and friends is one thing but I’m taking you to my hometown—that’s for me and you. I’ll make it worth your while, I promise.”

Wooseok studied Jinhyuk’s expression for a moment. He pursed his lips. 

“And what if I want to sleep all day?” he asked, a teasing lilt in his voice. Jinhyuk didn’t miss a beat.

“We’ll do whatever you want,” Jinhyuk said. He sounded serious and it took Wooseok by slight surprise. “You can call all the shots. You can even drive my car, again.”

Wooseok laughed at that. He tilted his head, “You’re trying really hard to convince me, aren’t you?”

“I’m trying,” Jinhyuk replied. He scratched the back of his neck, “Is it bad that I want you to come so badly?”

“It’s not bad…” Wooseok’s voice trailed off. He wasn’t certain where his mind was taking him with that remark. It left his lips before he could really put more thought into it. Wooseok pursed his lips.

He considered it.

_A trip to Jinhyuk’s hometown with Jinhyuk. A promise to go on another date with him—the best date of his life._ He wasn’t certain what it all could imply, what it all could entail, but he had to admit that it didn’t sound off-putting. He wasn’t against spending time with Jinhyuk. The semester just ended and Wooseok wasn’t planning on going home for the summer—his parents were out of the country. He had nothing important listed on his calendar. Spending a couple of days with Jinhyuk in his hometown didn’t have any obvious detriments. It could be fun.

“I’ve never been to Bucheon,” he said after a moment. Jinhyuk’s eyes lit up. “I guess I should see what it’s like, right?” 

Jinhyuk’s hands found his. Their fingers quickly entwined. The older man’s eyes seemed to glisten with excitement (and something a little too close to relief). He squeezed Wooseok’s hands and a small smile touched his lips.

“You’ll come?” Jinhyuk asked. “You’ll come with me?”

Wooseok nodded his head. “I’ll come.”

Jinhyuk looked as if he were ready to jump out of the seat to hug him. He visibly resisted the urge. A childish grin made its way across his expression instead.

“I’ll make it unforgettable.”

(When Wooseok quietly made his way across the room to sneakily open the door to his bedroom, both Yohan and Seungyoun lost their balance and fell over. Both fully-grown men tumbled onto the floor in a reckless pile in Wooseok’s doorway. Seungyoun winced as Yohan’s weight fell on top of him. They scrambled.

“I’m going away for the weekend,” Wooseok declared. Jinhyuk grinned from behind him.

Yohan’s eyes widened, “Where are you going, hyung?”

“Yeah, where are you going?” Seungyoun echoed, “Are you going with Jinhyuk?”

Wooseok rolled his eyes. “You two need to clean your ears and work on your sneakiness.”)

Absolutely no one told Wooseok that Jinhyuk’s family had money.

He supposed he should have known from the little hints scattered everywhere; the expensive car, the fact that Jinhyuk could afford to rent an entire house with only one roommate, and the fact that Jinhyuk always treated him to expensive meals when they went out. But no one told him that Jinhyuk’s family had money and nothing prepared him for the shock associated with walking up the driveway of an incredibly luxurious home. Wooseok gripped onto Jinhyuk’s sleeve as he walked, amazed.

“Did you never learn how to drive because you have a chauffeur?” Wooseok asked, quietly. 

Jinhyuk laughed at that. “We’re not that rich.”

_Doubtful. _Wooseok narrowed his eyes at the taller man but before Wooseok could ask any more questions, a dark-haired girl dashed down the stairs from the front door towards them.

As much as nothing had prepared Wooseok for the realization that Jinhyuk’s family was impressively rich, _nothing_ prepared Wooseok for the moment the teenage girl whizzed past Jinhyuk’s open arms and practically jumped onto him, enveloping him into a tight hug.

“Hi!” she greeted. “You must be my brother’s boyfriend!”

_Her brother’s boyfriend? _Wooseok glanced at Jinhyuk, helplessly seeking some kind of refuge from the teenage girl’s grip. Jinhyuk wasn’t looking at him but he quickly connected the dots in his head. _This was his little sister. Jinhyuk’s sister was hugging him like they’d known one another for years._

“Hey,” Jinhyuk called. The tone of his voice emphasized his pouty state, “Lee Jinsuk, where’s my hug?”

The girl, Jinsuk, ignored Jinhyuk completely. Her attention was entirely focused on Wooseok. She peered up at Wooseok with her arms still wrapped around his waist in a tight hug. Jinsuk’s eyes sparkled as she looked up at him. “My brother has _never_ brought a boy home before!”

From beside him, Jinhyuk’s cheeks flushed. He lowered his arms to his side, giving up trying to get a hug from his little sister. He looked embarrassed (and a part of Wooseok found it cute). The familiar warmth in his chest, which he had subconsciously begun to associate with Jinhyuk, began to bloom again. Wooseok smiled at her.

“Really? Your brother doesn’t bring boys home?”

Jinsuk shrugged and let go of him. She grabbed his bag from his hand (with a surprising amount of strength for a fifteen-year-old girl), “It’s the first time I’m meeting my brother-in-law! Come on, let’s go inside!”

The girl turned on her heel and ran back into the house with a bounce in her step; endearing. 

Wooseok glanced over at Jinhyuk with a questioning expression. Jinhyuk wordlessly linked their fingers together with a sheepish smile. He shrugged his shoulders looking a little apologetic.

He stepped behind Wooseok to guide him to follow in Jinsuk’s footsteps. His warm hands rested on Wooseok’s shoulders and he guided the smaller boy up the stairs. Wooseok could tell that Jinhyuk was avoiding his eyes out of embarrassment—he could feel it in the way Jinhyuk’s grip on his shoulders was tighter than necessary. The corners of Wooseok’s lips curved up in a smile, amusement dancing with endearment somewhere in the back of his mind.

Then, he felt Jinhyuk’s lips brush against the shell of his ear. Surprise flushed Wooseok’s small frame with a wave of heat. He halted in his footsteps. Jinhyuk spoke before he could react.

“Sorry,” Jinhyuk murmured in his ear. “My sister is a bit of a handful.”

Wooseok turned his head, coming face to face with Jinhyuk. Suddenly, their faces were too close to one another’s. Jinhyuk’s eyes visibly widened in response to the change in their proximity. Wooseok bit down the sudden rush in mind, the sudden skip in his heartbeat. He held his composure with a cheeky smile.

“She’s just like her brother.”

Jinhyuk whined and buried his face into Wooseok’s neck, hiding his shame.

It didn’t help Wooseok’s struggle in maintaining his composure, it didn’t help his suddenly racing heart.

(And something in the back of Wooseok’s mind told him that this trip really would be unforgettable but for an entirely different reason from what he expected.)

It turned out that when Jinhyuk said that his little sister was a handful, he really meant it.

Lee Jinsuk was a smart, bright-eyed girl. She was sweet and welcoming. Most of all, though, she had every bit of persuasiveness that her brother _didn’t _have. She was good at arguing, especially with Jinhyuk, and she was insistent that their guests rooms were off-limits to Wooseok when he could just sleep in the same room as Jinhyuk (“_Oppa_, why would you make my brother-in-law sleep in a different room?” she asked with her arms crossed over her chest).

Wooseok still didn’t know how he felt about being referred to as Jinsuk’s _brother-in-law _but he figured there was no use in trying to argue with the fifteen-year-old girl. At least, not when he was meant to be playing the role of Jinhyuk’s boyfriend. And by that same standard, Wooseok also didn’t know how to feel when Jinsuk stood in the doorway and blocked their route out of Jinhyuk’s room with a sweet smile.

She waited for them to be settled in and for Jinhyuk to _promise_ her that he wouldn’t sneakily try to move Wooseok’s bag into the other room when she wasn’t looking. Jinhyuk only agreed to it when Wooseok gently placed his hand on his shoulder and assured him that it would be fine. They stayed in the same room for a night, Wooseok wasn’t uncomfortable with it. Jinhyuk reluctantly made the promise to his sister.

Jinsuk happily shut the door and skipped away after she linked her pinky with her older brother with a cheeky gleam in her eyes that reminded Wooseok of Jinhyuk’s playful eyes.

They waited for her footsteps to fall out of earshot.

“I’m so sorry about my sister,” Jinhyuk sighed as he fell back against his bed, spread out like a starfish.

Wooseok shrugged his shoulders. He sat down on the floor and dug through his bag for his phone charger. As he searched, he hummed, “She’s fine. She doesn’t mean any harm.”

Jinhyuk laughed, “Jinsuk is a demon child.”

“Don’t be mean to your sister,” Wooseok furrowed his brows. “She seems like an angel.”

Jinhyuk made a dramatic sound, a poor impression of being shot. He rolled over onto his side to look at Wooseok, who was still fiddling with his phone charger. “You’ve already fallen into her trap. You think she’s an angel when she trapped you in this room with me.”

“If anyone has fallen for anyone’s trap, I think I’ve fallen for yours,” Wooseok retorted. “You’re the one who took me here.”

“Aw,” Jinhyuk chuckled. “I was hoping that you were going to say that you’ve fallen for me.”

Wooseok glared at Jinhyuk from his spot on the floor.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Hey,” Jinhyuk grinned, “Are you so against it?”

“Against what?” Wooseok huffed.

Jinhyuk flashed a cheeky smile. He winked, “Falling for me?”

Wooseok stared at Jinhyuk, his eyebrows furrowed. When their eyes met, Wooseok’s resolve to be firm about his response suddenly crumbled and it felt like he couldn’t speak with much sincerity anymore. Something about the glimmer in Jinhyuk’s playful eyes had him reeling in his thoughts. But he scowled at the thought, his tongue shoved against his inner cheek in annoyance at himself.

He turned away but his answer was a soft mumble, “I’m not falling for you.”

Jinhyuk laughed. He leaned over the edge of the bed to look at Wooseok, “That’s unfortunate.”

Wooseok ignored him and pretended to dig through his bag to look for more things. He had nothing to search for now that his phone was plugged into the wall but there was something in the air that made it hard for him to look directly at Jinhyuk. He avoided his eyes, feeling strange.

His back was towards Jinhyuk but he could still feel Jinhyuk’s eyes on him.

“Hey,” Jinhyuk called. “Come here.”

Wooseok glanced over his shoulder, “Why?”

“Just come here,” Jinhyuk said. He patted the spot next to him on the bed. _This felt familiar._

“What are you going to do?”

Jinhyuk laughed and shook his head, “Nothing. Just come here.”

“I don’t know if I can trust you,” Wooseok replied. He got onto his feet and made his over to where Jinhyuk was lying down on the bed despite his words.

“Trust me,” Jinhyuk smiled at him. He tilted his head, “Come. Take a nap.”

Wooseok narrowed his eyes, “We just got here and you randomly want me to nap? What are your intentions, Mister Lee?”

Jinhyuk snorted at the name.

“I just want you to rest a little bit,” Jinhyuk said with a soft chuckle. Jinhyuk propped himself onto the bed with his elbows. He tilted his head at Wooseok. “You drove us all the way here and you’re refusing my invitation to nap? What happened to wanting to sleep all day?”

“I didn’t say I wanted to nap with you,” Wooseok argued. Jinhyuk took the chance to grab Wooseok’s wrist and wrestle him down onto the bed.

With a shriek, Wooseok fell against the soft sheets.

Jinhyuk hovered over him with a cheeky grin.

“Mm, I didn’t say I was going to be napping with you,” Jinhyuk told him, tone already teasing. He kept the younger man pinned down to the bed by his wrists. Wooseok struggled against him with a whine. “Did you want me to?”

“I didn’t say that!” Wooseok cried. His cheeks flushed with colour, Jinhyuk’s teasing easily getting to him. Wooseok turned his head to avoid Jinhyuk’s eyes. Their faces were too close to one another and the warmth of Jinhyuk’s hands on his wrists almost burned. Wooseok’s heart pounded in his chest, strangely.

“You’re blushing,” Jinhyuk teased. Wooseok squeaked.

“Stop teasing me!”

Jinhyuk laughed, head thrown back with his laughter. Amusement danced in his eyes, mirth seemingly twinkling when he looked back down at Wooseok. And as Jinhyuk’s laughter quieted, their eyes met and silence settled between them. Wooseok tore his eyes away from Jinhyuk’s after a moment, feeling shy.

“… you’re gorgeous,” Jinhyuk murmured suddenly.

Caught by surprise, Wooseok blinked rapidly.

He turned back to look at the older man, eyes wide, “What?”

Reality struck Jinhyuk like lightning. Their position, their proximity, the way Wooseok’s flustered expression looked so endearing beneath him.

_“Shit,” _he quickly let go of Wooseok’s wrists. He sat up straight with his hands folded into his lap. Jinhyuk looked down at his hands, “Sorry.” He fiddled with his hands as if it would help him piece his words together, “um, did I say that out loud?”

Wooseok sat up slowly. He nodded his head. Jinhyuk looked flustered.

“You always compliment me, though,” he said softly.

To Wooseok, it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself that this was normal. Jinhyuk always complimented him, it wasn’t a lie. Jinhyuk was always teasingly flirting with him. But this felt different and it shouldn’t have.

This was something normal between them. Jinhyuk timed his remarks perfectly and Jinhyuk never backed down from a chance to say something unreasonably flirtatious. It was a simple part of who Lee Jinhyuk was and Wooseok swore he’d gotten used to it. The only thing different was the fact that they’d been staring at one another in silence, the only thing different was that the atmosphere around them somehow felt intimate. It shouldn’t have felt like it was a slip of the moment. It shouldn’t have.

But it did. It felt different and Wooseok didn’t know how to process the way his mind suddenly spun with a plethora of incomprehensible thoughts.

It seemed Jinhyuk struggled with a similar train of thought—a similar mess in his mind. Wooseok was too caught up with his own thoughts to study the older man.

“I always compliment you,” Jinhyuk echoed weakly.

There was silence between them. Unlike their usual comfortable silence though, this silence was filled with an unspoken awkwardness—filled with their eyes avoiding one another.

“… I should go check on Jinsuk,” Jinhyuk mumbled absently. His eyes looked anywhere but at Wooseok, he cleared his throat. “I’m going to go check on Jinsuk.”

“Okay,” Wooseok answered, voice soft and uncertain. “You do that.”

Jinhyuk glanced at him, “You should nap. Take a nap.”

Wooseok nodded his head, stupidly agreeing with everything Jinhyuk was saying.

“I’ll see you later,” Jinhyuk said. He slid off the bed and made a beeline out of the room.

As soon as Jinhyuk disappeared, Wooseok heaved out a breath of air. He fell back against the pillows and stared up at the ceiling. _What was wrong with him? Why was he feeling so flustered from a simple compliment?_

_What was Jinhyuk doing to him?_

Desperate to clear his mind, Wooseok lulled himself to sleep with the blankets swallowing him alive. Wooseok fell asleep to Jinhyuk’s scent still lingering around him.

Wooseok awoke from his slumber to the sound of a loud, unfamiliar voice screaming from downstairs. A male voice. Wooseok sat straight up in bed, worry immediately filling his body as he threw the covers off of his body and rushed to peek out of the door and down the stairs.

Jinsuk was headed up the stairs when Wooseok peeked out and he nearly ran into her when he rushed out of the room. Looking entirely too peaceful for anything to be wrong, she smiled at him with her hands clasped together in excitement, “Oh! You’re awake!”

“Um, yeah,” he replied. He peeked past the girl, “Is everything okay downstairs?”

Jinsuk glanced behind herself. She nodded her head and looked back to Wooseok.

“Everything is fine,” she told him. She smiled apologetically—and Wooseok couldn’t help but think that she looked exactly like her brother when she did it, “Hwanhee oppa and Yein oppa came to visit because he heard that my brother came home. Did he wake you up?”

Wooseok had no idea who _Hwanhee _nor _Yein _were but they definitely weren’t bad people considering Jinsuk’s pleased expression—despite the obnoxiously loud yell that woke Wooseok up from his nap. Jinhyuk never really told him about his friends nor did he tell him their names but Wooseok could deduct that these unknown people were people he would eventually need to introduce himself to.

Jinsuk smiled at the clueless expression on Wooseok’s face. She bounced on the balls of her feet and grabbed his wrist, “Come! My brother probably wants to introduce you!”

Helplessly, Wooseok followed her down the stairs. The siblings had a strange habit of dragging him around. Wooseok couldn’t help but wonder if he looked that easy to pull around.

Jinsuk only accompanied him to the archway between the hallway and the living room. She encouraged him to walk into the room with a bright, cheerful smile. And then she was running back up the stairs with a giggle. Wooseok turned to her, a part of his brain telling him that he should turn around and run after her; telling him that it would be a better idea to go back to Jinhyuk’s room and hide.

It seemed everything was already set in stone for him. His presence was known from the moment Jinsuk took him down the stairs and ran away with giggles spilling from her lips. The shadow from the light behind him ratted out his presence. He heard Jinhyuk’s voice before he saw the taller man.

“Jinsuk? I thought you were going to get something,” he called out. Wooseok cleared his throat.

“I’m not Jinsuk,” Wooseok answered quietly. He peeked around the wall with a small, shy smile. He waved his hands awkwardly to make his presence known. Jinhyuk immediately smiled.

“Oh, hey,” he greeted, “You’re awake.”

It seemed the awkward air between them was something already forgotten.

He was already aware that Jinhyuk wasn’t alone in the living room but actually seeing strangers sitting there was a lot more awkward than Wooseok had hoped for. A baby-faced blond boy sat next to a dark-haired boy who had been in the middle of saying something that required pointing at Jinhyuk. All attention was turned to Wooseok when he made his presence visible. They both stared at him. Wooseok made eye contact with the two boys sitting across from Jinhyuk. He immediately looked down, unsure of what to do other than offer an awkward smile to them.

Jinhyuk came to his rescue. The taller man got up from his spot on the sofa and walked over to where Wooseok was standing. A gentle, warm hand rested on the small of Wooseok’s back and Jinhyuk flashed him a kind smile. He gently ushered Wooseok into the room. The two boys sitting on the sofa stared at him like he was some kind of interesting specimen. A part of his mind decided he definitely preferred Jinsuk’s abrupt hug to the reaction he was getting now.

“And who is this, Jinhyuk?” the blond spoke first, voice soft and angelic. Wooseok’s nerves soothed at the sound of his voice. He looked at Jinhyuk with curious eyes. Wooseok followed him to look at Jinhyuk.

“I didn’t tell you guys I brought someone with me,” Jinhyuk said. He scratched the back of his neck with a shy laugh, “This is Wooseok.” Jinhyuk turned to look at him, his eyes warm, “He’s my boyfriend.”

Wooseok offered a shy wave. “Hi.”

Jinhyuk’s warm eyes lingered. He pulled Wooseok a little closer to himself by his waist.

“These are my friends, babe. We went to high school together,” he told him. Jinhyuk gestured to the boys sitting on the sofa. “This is Yein,” the blond boy waved with a cheerful smile, “and that one is Hwanhee.”

The specimen-like focus on him vanished when he was properly introduced to Jinhyuk’s friends, though Hwanhee’s gaze lingered a little longer than comfortable for Wooseok.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Wooseok said. But the more he looked at Hwanhee, the more certain he was that he would much rather hide behind Jinhyuk and hopefully vanish into thin air. Wooseok might have been paranoid but something about the look in Hwanhee’s eyes made it feel like he wasn’t buying it.

Wooseok stepped back, closer to Jinhyuk. The taller man wrapped his arms around his waist and rested his chin on top of his head, he squeezed him gently to comfort him.

“We don’t bite,” Hwanhee said. Yein elbowed him.

“You’re scaring him, Hwanhee,” Yein said. His tone was scolding.

Hwanhee huffed, “I literally told him that we don’t bite.”

“Be nice to my baby, guys,” Jinhyuk scolded.

Wooseok felt his heart thump in his chest at the remark. _His baby._

Wooseok couldn’t dwell on the name very long because his train of thought was interrupted when Jinhyuk gently ushered him to the sofa and took a seat. Wooseok sat down next to him, still feeling like he wanted to hide from Jinhyuk’s friends. Hwanhee’s eyes followed him.

“Hwanhee, stop staring at him like he’s a piece of meat,” Jinhyuk told him. “You guys were the ones who said you wanted to meet him so badly.”

“Because we didn’t believe that you got a boyfriend,” Hwanhee replied.

“Don’t lump us together,” Yein argued. He frowned, “_I _believed you, Jinhyuk. I just was curious because we heard it from the others, who heard it from Jackson before we heard it from you. I was just hesitant to believe the rumours because we didn’t hear it directly from you!”

“That’s because you’re too trusting, Yein hyung,” Hwanhee retorted. Jinhyuk frowned.

“Is it so hard to believe that I got a boyfriend?”

“No,” Hwanhee replied. “It’s hard to believe that you got _him_.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jinhyuk narrowed his eyes at his friend. Wooseok shifted uncomfortably on the sofa next to him. “Is that why you’re still staring at him like he’s a piece of meat?”

_Ooh, yes, that was something that should be addressed, _Wooseok thought to himself. Hwanhee’s stare was beginning to make him a little more than simply uncomfortable. The boy sitting across him looked harmless, something like a puppy, but he was looking at Wooseok with so many questions in his eyes. Wooseok feared their little act was being seen right through.

Hwanhee crossed his arms over his chest, “I’m not staring at him like he’s some piece of meat. I’m just wondering how _you_ got someone who looks like that to be your boyfriend.”

_Oh._

Jinhyuk gasped, “That is _rude_.”

“Jinhyuk is pretty, Hwanhee,” Yein said, nudging Hwanhee. Jinhyuk pouted at the exchange.

“But his boyfriend is prettier than him,” Hwanhee shrugged.

Wooseok cleared his throat, “Can we please stop talking about me like I’m not here?”

“Oh, he _speaks_,” Hwanhee grinned. Hwanhee narrowed his eyes at him, a wicked smile on his lips, “So tell me, how did Jinhyuk seduce someone like you?”

It struck him at that moment that they never made up a story of how they met, they never worked out the details of their fake relationship. This was never something they needed to work out because when they were still in Seoul, everyone was convinced that they were dating because of Jackson’s party. Wooseok refused to let other people believe that they were dating because of some stupid call-out at a party.

“We had a class together,” he said promptly. Jinhyuk turned to him, his eyes comically wide. He was unprepared to hear Wooseok make up a story on the spot. “I helped him with his homework and I thought he was cute because he was dumb.”

In his peripheral, Wooseok could see the betrayal in Jinhyuk’s eyes.

_Dumb?_ his eyes read. Wooseok ignored it.

“_Babe_, don’t tell them that story,” Jinhyuk said, his hand coming to grip Wooseok’s thigh.

Wooseok laughed, genuinely amused. “Why?”

“It’s embarrassing,” he replied.

“I thought you were adorable,” Wooseok told him. Jinhyuk shot him a look.

“He seduced you because he was an idiot?” Hwanhee made a face.

Wooseok smiled at the remark, unable to say anything else. The statement sounded ridiculous to his own ears and he didn’t trust himself to say anything without laughing and completely blowing their cover.

“Wait, you helped Jinhyuk? What do you major in, Wooseok?” Yein asked, curiously.

The question caught him off guard.

Wooseok blinked, “Oh, me? I’m in _Biomedical Engineering_.”

Jinhyuk made a strangled sound in the back of his throat from beside him.

Hwanhee’s expression changed. He looked between them, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “You’re majoring in _Biomedical Engineering_? … and you were tutoring Jinhyuk hyung in… _what_?”

He could feel the stress radiating from his side, Jinhyuk’s nervousness obvious in the way he gripped Wooseok’s thigh tighter. Wooseok’s hand placed itself over Jinhyuk’s hand to cover the whitening of his knuckles. The gears in Wooseok’s brain turned as he realized the hole in his story was the drastic difference in their majors. Jinhyuk didn’t even _know_ his major until mere seconds ago.

Wooseok flashed a small smile, “Um, _Astronomy_?”

Hwanhee narrowed his eyes. He turned to Jinhyuk.

“And what did you learn in _Astronomy_, hyung?”

Everyone in Wooseok’s program had taken _Astronomy _as an easy grade in their first year. Wooseok could only hope that Jinhyuk fell into the large majority of people who chose to take it.

Wooseok’s hopes and dreams were crushed at the moment Jinhyuk stared up at the ceiling. Wooseok held his breath, hoping Jinhyuk would regain his composure and somehow pull them out of the mess he’d put them into. _Common sense could get them out of the mess Wooseok put them into, surely._

Jinhyuk exhaled deeply.

“… I learned that Wooseok’s eyes are brighter than any star out there.”

Wooseok couldn’t help the obnoxious snort the remark drew from him.

Hwanhee’s expression twisted into one of pure disgust.

Yein giggled, his eyes glimmering with childish mirth. “You two are _disgusting_.”

Nightfall took them back to Jinhyuk’s bedroom.

Familiarity was everywhere when Wooseok stared up at the ceiling and listened to the soft sound of Jinhyuk’s breathing. The older man had insisted he would lay out a couple of blankets and sleep on the floor. He insisted that Wooseok should sleep on the bed. He promised him that they had plans for the following day and he didn’t want Wooseok’s back being in pain when he was making him drive again.

With reluctance, Wooseok had given into Jinhyuk’s insistence. As bad as he was with trying to convince Wooseok to do anything with his words, Jinhyuk had a way of looking at Wooseok that had the younger man’s resolve crumbling. Jinhyuk did something with his eyes that rendered Wooseok unable to move; something that had Wooseok internally melting.

Though he would never admit it aloud, though he would never admit it to himself, Jinhyuk had a strange power over all of Wooseok’s rationality. Before Lee Jinhyuk, he would have never done anything like this. Wooseok didn’t know how to process that information in his head.

In the darkness of the bedroom, only the moonlight shining through the window provided them with light. Wooseok stirred on the bed, unable to fall asleep. His mind nagged at him for letting Jinhyuk sleep on the floor in his own bedroom, in his own house. The younger man heaved out a sigh, loud enough to wake Jinhyuk—if he’d already fallen asleep.

Rationality and proper thought rarely happened when Kim Wooseok was around Lee Jinhyuk. He made his decisions promptly and without much thought.

Wooseok sat up on the bed and threw the sheets to the side. He reached to turn on the lamp on the nightstand. Soft light cast over the room and Jinhyuk stirred from where he was lying down on the floor.

“Jinhyuk,” Wooseok whispered as he leaned over the edge of the bed to look down at Jinhyuk. Jinhyuk looked up at him, obviously awake. He hadn’t fallen asleep yet.

“Mm?” Jinhyuk shifted on his side to look at him properly. He rested his head against his arm and even in the dim light of the room, Wooseok could see the glimmer of worry in Jinhyuk’s eyes. “Can’t sleep?”

“No,” Wooseok replied. He shifted his eyes, “Um, come here.”

Jinhyuk blinked, “Come where?”

Wooseok patted the space next to him, wordlessly. Jinhyuk’s bed was large—significantly larger than the futon they had shared at the beach house. When Jinhyuk curiously tilted his head, Wooseok whispered, “Come sleep on the bed.”

Jinhyuk shook his head, “I’m fine, Wooseok. Don’t worry about me.”

“No, I want you to come here,” Wooseok said.

“I’m not letting you sleep on the floor, Wooseok.”

Wooseok frowned, “No… come sleep with me on the bed.”

Jinhyuk looked surprised. He bit down on his lower lip and turned his head away from Wooseok. The younger man stared at Jinhyuk’s back, confused. His brows knitted together in slight concern—_had he said something wrong? Did Jinhyuk not want to? _They had slept together before. _Was it so bad?_

“You don’t want to?” Wooseok huffed. He rolled back to the center of the bed and wrapped the blankets around himself. “Fine, kill your back by yourself.”

There was silence. The unsettled feeling in Wooseok’s gut wouldn’t leave him.

He wouldn’t be able to fall asleep, that was something he was already aware of. The guilt would eat him alive but he wasn’t going to force Jinhyuk into doing something he didn’t want to do.

Wooseok heard the rustling of the sheets. Then silence.

He held his breath and buried his face into the pillow. There was no use in getting his hopes up—_he didn’t even know why he was feeling so hopeful for something so stupid. _It wasn’t like he wanted Jinhyuk to sleep next to him. No, he just wanted Jinhyuk to sleep comfortably in his own home. This had nothing to do with Wooseok himself. This wasn’t about him. Wooseok scolded himself mentally.

Then, there was a dip in the bed behind him. Jinhyuk’s arms quickly found Wooseok’s body. He wrapped his arms around the smaller man and pulled him into his arms, a comfortable embrace from behind. Wooseok relaxed in Jinhyuk’s arms.

“… hey,” Jinhyuk whispered. Wooseok shifted, turning to face Jinhyuk. He laid against his own arm as he looked at the taller man. He hummed in response. “Are you happy, now?”

Wooseok laughed, soft. “I’m relieved.”

“Because you didn’t want me sleeping on the floor?” Jinhyuk asked. His eyes searched Wooseok’s eyes, almost looking hopeful. Wooseok nodded his head. A small smile danced across Jinhyuk’s lips. “I would have been fine, Wooseok.”

“I wouldn’t have been fine,” he answered. Wooseok felt that familiar warmth bloom in his chest again when he looked at Jinhyuk’s smile. In a quiet voice, Wooseok was almost shy to admit, “I don’t think I would have been able to fall asleep if you didn’t come up here.”

“Did you want to fall asleep in my arms again so badly?” Jinhyuk’s tone was teasing.

Wooseok swatted him, a weak strike to his chest. His hand stayed against Jinhyuk.

“I was just really worried about you,” he murmured. Jinhyuk’s eyes softened.

In the dim light, he could see the flush of colour on Jinhyuk’s cheeks. The taller man’s fingers carded into the back of his hair and he pulled him against his chest. Subconsciously, Wooseok’s lips curved into a small smile. He made himself comfortable against the older man’s body.

“You don’t need to worry about me,” Jinhyuk told him. He could hear the smile in his voice.

Wooseok’s smile grew as Jinhyuk’s fingers absently played with his hair.

With his head rested against Jinhyuk’s chest, he could hear Jinhyuk’s heartbeat. A quick beat that could have lulled Wooseok to sleep. The younger man closed his eyes.

Voice muffled, Wooseok mumbled, “… your heartbeat is really quick…”

Jinhyuk inhaled, “I wonder why.”

Wooseok stirred from his position in Jinhyuk’s arms. He peered up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

“You don’t know why?” he asked. His tone was worried, “This isn’t normal?”

Jinhyuk laughed, quietly. He stroked Wooseok’s hair, his fingers hovering under the soft curve of Wooseok’s jaw before he tilted his face up. Wooseok blinked up at him.

“No, I know why,” Jinhyuk replied. His eyes lingered on Wooseok’s face for a moment.

Something in Jinhyuk’s eyes had Wooseok’s heart skipping a beat. He swallowed. The tips of Jinhyuk’s fingers felt so warm against his skin. As if in a trance, Wooseok focused on Jinhyuk. _Jinhyuk’s touch, Jinhyuk’s eyes, Jinhyuk’s arms still wrapped around his waist. _

“… why?” he asked. Jinhyuk’s lips tugged into a smile, unreadable.

He shook his head. Then, he chuckled, “I told you that you don’t need to worry about me.”

Then his touch was gone. Jinhyuk’s hand dropped from its place against Wooseok’s jawline and he rolled over so that his back was facing Wooseok.

Strangely, Wooseok felt as if his heart dropped.

Suddenly, he felt cold without Jinhyuk’s arms wrapped around him.

“Don’t worry about it,” Jinhyuk repeated. Then, softer, he added, “We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Get some sleep, Wooseok.”

And for the third time since he met Lee Jinhyuk, Wooseok fell asleep with his heart pounding and his mind filled with confusion and everything _Jinhyuk_.

It turned out that when Jinhyuk told him that they had an entire day planned ahead of them, he was serious. Jinhyuk had an itinerary outlining their entire day prepared for him when they woke up the next morning. He promised him the best date in his life and it seemed that he took his own promises seriously. Wooseok wouldn’t admit that a small part of him—the small part of him that had grown entirely too fond of Lee Jinhyuk’s presence—found the older man’s attempt at organization adorable. 

Or at least, he did when he was awake enough to be able to process his own thoughts.

The summer sunlight streamed through the curtains, harsh against Wooseok’s eyes but it hadn’t been enough to shake him from his deep sleep. He’d unconsciously covered his face with a pillow to avoid the light—much to Jinhyuk’s amusement when he’d returned to the bedroom to wake Wooseok up.

Jinhyuk coaxed him out of bed at nine, kind enough to let him sleep in. Jinhyuk had seated himself beside Wooseok on the bed and woke him up with a gentle shake and a soft whisper of his name. It took several attempts to get a reaction out of Wooseok. He peeked at Jinhyuk with squinted eyes in response to the third call of his name. The taller man greeted his sleepy eyes with a smile. 

Jinhyuk had watched him with fond eyes when he rolled out of bed with a groan and waddled to wash up.

Wooseok stood in front of the mirror for an extended period of time, trying to knock consciousness into his mind. He gave up after he splashed water on his face. He was still so tired. He spent a portion of the night staring up at the ceiling and wondering what Jinhyuk could have meant, despite him saying that he didn’t need to worry about him. It was practically an invitation to worry to Wooseok’s ears. But Jinhyuk never seemed to dwell on the things he said.

Wooseok studied his reflection, his mind blank with the sleepiness still clinging onto him. 

Jinhyuk was sitting at the foot of his bed, talking about their plans for the day when Wooseok finally worked up some energy and stumbled out of the washroom.

At the sight of Wooseok drowsily drudging out of the washroom, Jinhyuk stopped speaking and opened his arms to welcome the still sleepy Wooseok into his arms.

“Do you want to go back to bed, cutie?” he asked with a laugh. Jinhyuk’s eyes twinkled.

By no means was Wooseok a morning person—he hated mornings and it was never easy to get him out of bed—but he shook his head, refusing the notion of returning to Jinhyuk’s impossibly soft bed. He would have accepted the offer under any other circumstances, he would have rolled right back into bed if Jinhyuk didn’t have the entire day planned for them. And while he would rather sleep for at least another hour, the hard work Jinhyuk put into planning their day shouldn’t be put to waste. A terribly sleepy Wooseok could register at least that much in his brain. 

Wordlessly, he shuffled closer to Jinhyuk with tiny footsteps. The barely conscious part of his mind told him to shake the sleepiness off but Jinhyuk’s arms were a tempting invitation. He fell forward against him and let the taller man wrap his arms around him. Jinhyuk’s embrace was comfortable.

A comfortable silence fell onto them as Wooseok rested in Jinhyuk’s arms. And then, Wooseok’s brain reminded him that Jinhyuk was talking about his car before Wooseok threw himself onto him. 

“Why can’t you drive?” Wooseok murmured, rubbing his eyes with his hands. 

“I don’t have my license, remember?” Jinhyuk chuckled. Jinhyuk’s fingers carded through Wooseok’s hair, gently ruffling his dark locks, “Are you always so cute in the morning?”

Wooseok mumbled incoherently. He buried his face into the taller man’s neck and shook his head.

“I have no idea what you’re saying,” Jinhyuk told him. He smiled, “We can go back to bed if you don’t want to go anywhere. We can do anything you want.”

“No,” Wooseok told him. His sentence was left hanging for an extended silence. He felt Jinhyuk move above him, looking down at him curiously to gauge his speech—wondering if he planned on expanding his thoughts. Wooseok wrapped his arms around Jinhyuk and rested his weight against him, “I’m just going to stay here for a bit… and then we can go do what you have planned.”

“Is snuggling against me going to help you wake up?” Jinhyuk asked. His voice was teasing, “Or are you going to just fall asleep in my arms?”

Wooseok weakly smacked him. Truthfully, Wooseok knew that leaning against Jinhyuk—who was so comfortable and warm—was a sure-fire plan to knock him right back out. But even in knowing so, he couldn’t bring himself to move away from the taller man. A part of him—it must have been the sleepy and mindless part—wanted to stay in the warmth of Jinhyuk’s arms forever.

“You did this to me too, you know?” he mumbled. “This… _sleepy thing_.”

“I’m sure I didn’t cling onto you like a baby koala.”

“You did!” he insisted. Wooseok deflated against the taller man when the sudden embarrassment of being so insistent struck him. He mumbled, “You squished me… and then asked for five more minutes.”

Jinhyuk’s lips quirked into an amused smile.

He squeezed Wooseok’s body against his own, “I squished you?”

Wooseok nodded his head. Jinhyuk tilted his head.

“Did you give me five more minutes?”

Wooseok shook his head, “… we fell back asleep for half an hour.”

Jinhyuk laughed, loud and bright. Then, with a surprising amount of strength, he picked Wooseok up and rolled them over onto the bed. Wooseok squeaked as Jinhyuk lifted him and exhaled a breath of relief when his back hit the soft material of the mattress. Jinhyuk’s eyes twinkled with amusement when he looked down at him. Long, slender fingers raised to his forehead, Jinhyuk brushed Wooseok’s bangs out of his eyes with a fond smile.

“I’ll give you another hour,” he said. “Go back to sleep.”

Wooseok groaned, “What are you going to do if I go back to sleep?”

He chuckled. Jinhyuk wrapped his arms around Wooseok and cuddled up against him.

“Me? I’ll be right here with you.”

The promised best date he would ever have in his life took them a short distance away from Jinhyuk’s home.

When Jinhyuk had successfully coaxed Wooseok out of bed, he waited for him to get ready in the living room. Jinhyuk was playing on his phone with his little sister pestering him when Wooseok came down the stairs. And Jinhyuk immediately made his escape from his little sister when Wooseok presented himself in front of him (“Wait, wait, where are you taking my brother-in-law?” Jinsuk yelled after them, betrayal in her eyes as her brother stole Wooseok from her. Jinhyuk grabbed Wooseok’s hand and ran out of the house without telling her).

Laughter struck them when they slid into Jinhyuk’s car; amusement and disbelief struck Wooseok with peals of giggles (“Why are you running away from your sister?” he asked. Jinhyuk shrugged with a laugh and his response had Wooseok’s heart skipping a beat; “I want you all to myself, today.”).

When they were finally calm enough to escape the driveway of Jinhyuk’s home, Jinhyuk’s instructions to drive took them to a park (much to Wooseok’s surprise). They pulled into a parking lot close to the playground, occupied by a couple of children who were running around. Jinhyuk grabbed his hand as soon as they got out of the car and quickly walked him down a stone walkway set into the ground. Wooseok followed him with their hands linked.

And as they walked, Jinhyuk rambled. _Senselessly_.

“I would have done the thing where I blindfold you and ask you to trust me because I have a surprise,” Jinhyuk started, “but I can’t drive. And driving with a blindfold is a bad idea. And I didn’t even know if you would have trusted me enough to put on a blindfold because I asked you to in the first place. And _oh god_, what would people think if they saw me driving around some guy with a blindfold on his face—!”

_“Jinhyuk.”_

“Me. You called me,” Jinhyuk blinked rapidly. Jinhyuk stopped walking to turn around and look at him. It took the taller man a moment to calm his mind, “Yes?”

An amused smile danced across Wooseok’s lips. “You know that I would have trusted you, right?”

Jinhyuk paused. He blinked at him, slower this time. “Really?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” he asked, eyebrows arched in interest. He shoved his hands into the pocket of his shorts and shrugged nonchalantly—or at least, in a way he hoped came off as nonchalant. Wooseok tilted his head, “Weren’t you the one who said I was your responsibility because you took me somewhere? I trust you to make sure that I’m not going to get hurt while I’m with you.” A pause. “Or was that only for when we were with the fraternity because I drank?”

Jinhyuk shook his head, panic clear in his eyes. “_No!_ Wait, I mean—_yes_! Yes, I’m going to make sure you’re not going to get hurt.” He squeezed his hand, “You’re my responsibility. _You’re my responsibility._“

Wooseok laughed.

“Then, calm down,” his other hand placed itself on top of Jinhyuk’s. He offered him a kind smile, “Calm down, okay? It’s okay, it’s just me.”

And Wooseok wasn’t certain what his reassurance was supposed to mean. He wasn’t sure why his mind—his words—thought that _his _presence would be able to calm Jinhyuk down but despite the wave of regret he suddenly felt, Jinhyuk’s expression relaxed. Jinhyuk heaved out a breath and he nodded.

“It’s you,” he breathed. “It’s _you_.”

“It’s just me,” he repeated. 

_Just me_—it felt bitter on Wooseok’s tongue. He shook it off.

Suddenly, he wasn’t certain why he was the one reassuring Jinhyuk when he felt equally as nervous. Wooseok’s nerves built up from the small voice in the back of his head that reminded him that this was meant to be the promised _best date he would ever have in his life_. They didn’t have anyone around to act for and he was certain that Jinhyuk must have forgotten what he said when they were still in Wooseok’s bedroom in Seoul. But there was that small part of Wooseok’s brain that told him Jinhyuk remembered the smallest details about him, that tried to convince him that Jinhyuk thought of their time together as a real date. And he couldn’t figure out why it made his heart nervous with anticipation. 

Much to his own dismay, Wooseok’s mouth worked faster than his brain; “You’ve been on a date with me before. You can handle this.”

Something flickered in Jinhyuk’s eyes before he calmed. He nodded.

“We’ve been on several dates,” he said with a nod. “I can definitely do this.”

His confidence and composure broke almost immediately. 

Jinhyuk tugged with the hand still entwined with Wooseok’s fingers and he pulled Wooseok into his arms with a groan. Jinhyuk’s arms wrapped around him in a tight hug. He buried his face into the junction between Wooseok’s neck and shoulder—_it tickled_. 

Jinhyuk sighed. 

“But, _Wooseok_, I still get nervous every single time.”

Wooseok couldn’t hold back the laugh. It spilled from his lips, brightly. _How was this the same boy who shamelessly flirted with him at any given chance?_

He wrapped his arms around Jinhyuk, reciprocating the hug; “You’re _so_ cute.”

At his response, Jinhyuk moved from his spot against Wooseok’s shoulder and looked at the younger man. Jinhyuk pouted at him, his eyebrows knitted together; distressed. Looking at Jinhyuk, Wooseok’s chest bloomed with that familiar warmth, again.

“You’re not alone, okay?” he said, “If it makes you feel better, I’m a little nervous, too.”

He was honest. He figured it might help Jinhyuk calm down. After all, it seemed that it was his fault that the older man started panicking in the first place.

“You’re handling yourself a lot better than I could ever,” Jinhyuk groaned. Wooseok snorted.

“I’m really not but thank you.”

He supposed externally, he really was. Internally, he wasn’t certain he was faring so well. The more he looked at Jinhyuk’s nervously glimmering eyes and shyly flushed cheeks, the more he was uncertain that he could handle the way his heart was suddenly working too hard. Something about this reminded him of their first date when Wooseok hadn’t been able to shake his nerves but Jinhyuk was equally nervous.

Wooseok stepped back, out of Jinhyuk’s arms, and looked at him quietly. He tilted his head and took Jinhyuk’s hands into his own, again. Jinhyuk squeezed his hands, his eyes never left Wooseok’s face. And for a moment, all they did was stare at one another in the middle of the stone pathway in the park.

Fingers entwined as they stood staring at one another, Wooseok felt faint with his heart beating so loudly in his chest. Jinhyuk subconsciously swallowed and he gently squeezed Wooseok’s hands.

The sound of a distant, screaming child snapped them out of their little trance.

Wooseok startled.

He quickly tore his eyes away from Jinhyuk. His eyes did their best to look anywhere but at the taller man.

Jinhyuk coughed into his arm and turned away.

Then, in a little spike of awkwardness, Wooseok cleared his throat, “Ah… do you even remember where you were taking me before… this?”

Their surroundings suddenly returned to Jinhyuk, a wave of embarrassment flushed his cheeks a light shade of pink and his ears turned a brilliant red. He covered his mouth with his hands and he gasped.

“_Oh, shit_. Right, I was taking you somewhere.” He groaned, “I got distracted, I’m sorry.”

Wooseok’s lips quirked into an amused smile. He offered Jinhyuk his hand.

“… let’s go?”

Jinhyuk nodded. He took Wooseok’s hand into his own and led him down the pathway, again.

Wooseok didn’t know what to expect at the end of the pathway. He didn’t know where Jinhyuk intended to take him but he blindly trusted him. He promised an unforgettable date and he promised to take care of him. Wooseok, for some unknown reason, trusted him with everything he had.

As they crossed a bridge to safely walk over a garden of flowers, Wooseok saw the end of the pathway from a distance. Past the neat rows of flowers growing, a lake awaited them. The ripples of water glittered under the sunlight, catching his eye. Wooseok’s eyes brightened at the sight of it. He turned to look at Jinhyuk with wide, curious eyes. Jinhyuk was smiling at him.

“Last one to get to the water sucks?” he suggested, playfully.

Wooseok immediately dropped his hand and dashed towards the waterfront.

He could hear Jinhyuk’s laughter behind him.

Wooseok skidded to a stop as he reached the rail that guarded them against falling into the water. He placed his hands the rail and peered down at the water. His eyes twinkled with excitement as he took in the view.

_It was breathtaking_.

Wooseok turned to look at Jinhyuk, bright smile on his lips. As he turned around, the older man stepped beside him. Jinhyuk leaned against the rail next to him and looked at him.

“You suck,” he jabbed, playfully. Jinhyuk laughed.

“Mm, looks like I do,” he replied.

And for a moment, they were quiet. For a moment, they stared at the movement of the water. Wooseok’s eyes practically sparkled as he looked to the shifting of the water twinkling back at him. Jinhyuk watched him with an adoring smile as he stared out at the lake with bright, childish excitement.

He glanced away from the lake and looked up at Jinhyuk.

Their eyes met—Jinhyuk had been staring again, after all.

“What made you want to take me here?” Wooseok’s voice was soft. There was a gentle trace of endearment in his words. A smile he couldn’t get rid of danced across his lips even as he looked away from the water.

Jinhyuk looked down at the ground, hands clasped behind his back; suddenly timid.

He cleared his throat awkwardly.

“You said you liked the waterside,” he murmured. Wooseok couldn’t see his hands but he could tell that Jinhyuk was nervously fidgeting. “So, I thought it would be nice to take you back to the beach. And I know this isn’t a beach but there aren’t any nearby beaches and that _sucks_ but the best I could do was a tiny lake—”

_“Jinhyuk.”_

“What?”

“I love it, okay?” Wooseok smiled at him. He interrupted Jinhyuk’s worries with his arms wrapping around the older man’s waist. He looked up at him with his eyes glimmering, bright and filled with a mirthful light, “It’s beautiful. I don’t care if it isn’t the beach. I love it.”

Relief flooded Jinhyuk’s eyes before a bright smile tugged at his lips. 

His arms snaked their way around Wooseok, naturally.

“I was so afraid that you wouldn’t like it,” he admitted, softly. “That’s why I got so nervous.”

“That’s why you got nervous?” Wooseok giggled behind his hand. His heart fluttered in his chest, endearment suddenly warming him. “Listen, you put your time into planning all this for me… I would have liked anything you did. I don’t really care if we don’t do anything else after this—the fact that you put so much thought into something like this… that’s so sweet of you, Jinhyuk. I can’t believe that you were so nervous because you thought I wouldn’t _like_ it.”

Jinhyuk scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish smile.

The taller man shrugged his shoulders, a shy attempt to brush his embarrassment off. “Well, that… and you know, people tend to get nervous when they’re around beautiful people.”

Wooseok laughed. He shook his head in disbelief, “Are you back to flirting with me?”

“I’m not just flirting, I’m serious,” Jinhyuk said. “You look beautiful when you smile like that, you know?

He took Wooseok’s hand into his own. His eyes softened when they looked at Wooseok, silently studying the younger man’s features. Wooseok’s heartbeat stilled in his chest and he held his breath.

Jinhyuk whispered his words, “You’re _beautiful_.”

It rendered Wooseok speechless. With his heart pounding in his chest, Wooseok struggled to grasp his words and form them into a coherent sentence. He stared at Jinhyuk, lips parted in an o-shape; stunned silent. The compliment sounded so genuine, so sincere—his cheeks coloured at the thought.

Jinhyuk’s smile was sweet. He stepped a little closer to the younger man. Wooseok froze, his nerves taking over the conscious part of his mind. Wooseok’s eyes were wide and innocent; oddly nervous.

Then, with a gentle hand, Jinhyuk’s fingers tilted Wooseok’s chin upwards.

With his heart beating too quickly and his head spinning, Wooseok squeezed his eyes shut; waiting.

He felt Jinhyuk lean closer, felt the taller man’s warm breath against his cheek. Wooseok held his breath and the arms that were wrapped around Jinhyuk’s waist unconsciously tensed; his fingers gripped into the hem of Jinhyuk’s shirt. And it felt like an eternity before the older man moved again.

Then, Jinhyuk’s lips pressed softly against his forehead.

And Wooseok felt as if all the air was knocked out of his lungs, a sudden wave of relief washed over him when he felt Jinhyuk’s lips against his skin. Somewhere beneath the wave of relief rested an unfamiliar sense of disappointment. Wooseok mentally scolded himself for expecting more out of the moment.

(Wooseok fought the voice in the back of his head that reminded him of the moment when Seungyoun and Yohan had asked him if he would have minded Jinhyuk kissing him. He fought it because he realized—a little too quickly—that he was hoping for that kiss.)

Jinhyuk’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Wooseok’s eyes opened and he looked at him.

Jinhyuk was looking right at him.

“Thank you for coming home with me,” he whispered. His long fingers brushed Wooseok’s hair away from his eyes and they lingered as he looked at him, silently and ever so sweetly.

Jinhyuk was smiling at him—so warmly, so sweetly. Wooseok felt as if he were _melting_.

Desperately, Wooseok willed for his heart to calm.

_It didn’t work._

Time flew after that.

As much as he didn’t want to be the one to admit it, he got comfortable with Jinhyuk’s family and friends.

Jinhyuk’s mother met him once. She was a kind lady who had a lot on her hands. She only managed to pop into the house on an early morning when he and Jinhyuk were still tangled in one another’s arms, talking about senseless things. Wooseok’s cheeks had flushed a bright red when she peeked into Jinhyuk’s room and smiled mischievously at her son, who was hugging a boy in his bed. She hadn’t minded Jinhyuk’s visitor and offered him a sweet smile (“Ah, this is what your sister meant when she told me to go meet my son-in-law, huh?” she asked with a twinkle in her eye. Wooseok wanted to bury himself back in the sheets).

He met Jinhyuk’s father twice. Jinhyuk’s father was a tall, kind man who reminded him exactly of his son. Both times Wooseok met him in the three days he stayed, he was on a mission to get to the airport on time for a flight. Both Jinhyuk and Jinsuk had been running around the house to grab everything he needed for his business meetings. Wooseok helplessly stood in the middle of the kitchen and stared at them zip around the house to worry about their father. And while his children ran, the man stood next to Wooseok with an amused smile on his lips (“So, you’re the one my son picked, huh?” he asked. His smile was warm, “Jinsuk really likes you. I hope my son treats you well.” Wooseok smiled shyly at that.).

He was only meant to stay with Jinhyuk for the weekend—three days and two nights. He was meant to head back to Seoul on Sunday night. He had no other plans for the summer—aside from retelling his entire adventure back to Yohan when he got back to Seoul—but he told Jinhyuk that he would stay with him for the weekend and then take a train back to Seoul.

Plans were plans and Wooseok had always been fond of keeping to his promises but Jinsuk wasn’t too fond of the promises she wasn’t aware of.

When Wooseok was gathering his things from Jinhyuk’s room and putting them into his bag, the fifteen-year-old girl leaned against the door of Jinhyuk’s bedroom, frowning at him. Wooseok noticed her presence before she was willing to speak.

“Hi, Jinsuk,” he greeted. Wooseok folded his jacket and shoved it into his bag. He turned to look at her, “Are you looking for your brother?”

Jinsuk shook her head, “My brother is in the shower. I was looking for you.”

Wooseok blinked, “You were looking for me?”

She nodded her head. The teenager stepped into the bedroom. She sat on the floor across from and picked up one of the shirts lying on the floor. She helped him fold his clothing.

“You’re going home already?” Jinsuk was still frowning. Wooseok pursed his lips.

“I was only supposed to stay for a few days,” he told her. “I have to head back to Seoul.”

“Do you have important things to do back at home?” she asked.

Wooseok blinked. He paused, “Well, not really…”

Jinsuk’s eyes brightened a little, “Wooseok oppa, you should stay a couple more days.”

Wooseok stopped folding his clothing. He looked at the girl sitting across from him with curiosity in his eyes mixed with a little bit of confusion. He tilted his head. He knew that Jinsuk loved him—he was told by several people that she did—but he wasn’t expecting the invitation to stay a little longer.

“I don’t know…” he started. But before he could finish his thought, she clasped her hands together with an exaggerated pout on her lips, looking exactly like Jinhyuk when he did that _dreaded_ kicked puppy face.

_This family was going to kill him,_ he thought.

“My brother’s birthday is in two days,” she declared. Wooseok startled.

He didn’t know.

Luckily for him, Jinsuk didn’t notice his visible shock at the declaration. A part of his mind nagged at him for making his reaction so severe—had Jinsuk been anyone else, they might have been in trouble.

But Jinhyuk didn’t tell him that his birthday was coming up. _Hell_, he didn’t even have a general idea of when the older man’s birthday _was_. The gears in Wooseok’s head turned rapidly.

_What was he supposed to do?_

Jinsuk looked at him, “You should stay for his party, at the very least. My brother always has a party with all of his friends and… I’m surprised that you’re going home before you can spend his birthday with him.”

“Ah…” Wooseok looked down at the clothes piled in front of them. “I suppose I should. Your brother might want to have some time alone with his friends, though.”

“But you’re his friend, too!” Jinsuk was quick to refute him. The fifteen-year-old girl reached over to take his hands into her own—it seemed the siblings shared a habit. She looked up at him with bright eyes, “You’re even more special than a friend! He looks at you like you put the stars in the sky and I’m _certain_ he would want to spend as much time in the world with you!”

_Jinhyuk looked at him like he put the stars in the sky._ He shouldn’t be listening to the words of a teenage girl who looked at them with rose-coloured lenses, but Wooseok couldn’t help the way his heart skipped a beat at the mere thought of it. His cheeks flushed with a tint of pink. He looked away.

_Jinsuk was a million times more convincing than her older brother was. _And maybe that had something to do with the fact that she was a teenage girl who had too many hopes and expectations for love.

“I’ll talk to him,” he said.

She shook her head, “No. _I’ll _talk to him about it.” She squeezed his hands, “I have to yell at him for not inviting you to stay for his birthday party in the first place. _That guy._“

Wooseok _laughed_ at that.

“You don’t have to yell at him for it, Jinsuk,” he told her. She stubbornly shook her head.

“No, _how dare he?_“

Wooseok snorted. “I don’t have to go with him everywhere he goes and do everything with him, you know? I think he might get tired of me if I was by his side all the time.”

“I think he would love it if you were by his side at all times.”

The corner of Wooseok’s lips tugged into an amused smile. He raised an eyebrow.

“You think so?” He shrugged, “I think he deserves better than someone like me to cling onto him.”

Jinsuk snorted at that.

“You’re the best catch he could ever get,” she answered. “My ideal brother-in-law.”

“You have an _ideal brother-in-law_?”

Jinsuk shrugged her shoulders, “It’s just like how you’re my brother’s ideal type.”

Wooseok’s cheeks flushed with colour. He laughed, “I’m his ideal type?”

“If he had a different ideal type before you, it’s changed to you, now.”

“And what makes you so certain of this?”

Jinsuk smiled at him, mischief glittering in her eyes.

“Well, to him, your eyes are brighter than any star in the night sky.”

Wooseok laughed. She definitely overheard them speaking in the living room the other day.

He shook his head in amusement, eyes twinkling.

“I can’t believe you,” he chuckled.

She beamed at him.

“Wooseok oppa,” Jinsuk called. Her eyes were focused on him. There was a childish interest glittering in her eyes. He hummed in acknowledgement and arched a brow at her. She rested her chin in her palms and smiled at him, “Do you love my brother?”

Whoa. _Whoa. Whoa—hold on. What?_

Wooseok’s eyes widened. He panicked.

He had forgotten that this was a possibility. Somewhere between spending a lot of time with Jinhyuk and forgetting that they were meant to be a fake couple, Wooseok almost forgot that this was all an act they were putting on for other people. He forgot that there were real emotions linked with being in a relationship with someone. With Jinhyuk, it was comfortable and it was fun. They were having fun.

But Jinsuk’s question struck him out of nowhere and he couldn’t ignore the childish glimmer in her eyes. Suddenly, he remembered the moment that Jinhyuk had taken his hand for the first time and pulled him out of the diner on their first date because he didn’t want to crush their server’s hopes and dreams. Wooseok felt a weight in the pit of his stomach, a weight that felt something like guilt.

_He was lying to the girl no matter what he did._

Stupidly, he opened and closed his mouth to try to think up a response. He gaped at her, senselessly. Jinsuk giggled at his response. She seemed satisfied with not having an answer.

“It’s okay,” she told him. “It’s okay if you don’t love my brother, yet. But I really hope that you’ll go past liking him a lot one day. If that happens then you’ll really be my brother-in-law!”

Wooseok’s guilt bubbled up to his throat. He couldn’t respond.

It seemed as though there was someone looking after him because he was saved from the terribly awkward conversation with Jinhyuk’s little sister.

From the hallway, Wooseok heard Jinhyuk’s voice call his sister’s name.

The girl beamed at him before she hopped to her feet and ran out into the hallway. The girl shredded her way down the hallway with a high-pitched screech.

_“My brother-in-law is staying with us until after your birthday, oppa!”_

Wooseok winced.

Then, suddenly alone, Wooseok felt entirely too self-aware.

Wooseok’s heartbeat sounded a lot louder to his ears. The thought of actually dating Jinhyuk was suddenly too apparent in his head and the thought of _marrying_ Jinhyuk quickly followed in the streak of unwanted thoughts—it sledgehammered itself into his brain. That small voice in the back of his head returned with a cheeky whisper that told him he wouldn’t mind it, really wouldn’t. Wooseok shook it off and smacked his own head to rid himself of the thoughts as if he were a broken tape.

He fell back against the floor with a groan.

_God, what the fuck has he gotten himself into?_

Sleeping together in Jinhyuk’s bed became a _thing_ after the first night.

It felt comfortable to fall asleep in Jinhyuk’s arms and the older man didn’t mind the way Wooseok’s smaller body curled up against him in the middle of the night. He kept his arms wrapped around Wooseok all night and they would wake up in one another’s arms. It felt natural.

They spent the entire day together but when they finally rolled into bed, they talked about their days with one another until sleep took them away from one another. It felt terribly domestic. _It felt terribly sweet._

Tonight, Jinhyuk’s arm was laid out against Wooseok’s pillow and the older man let him rest against it. Jinhyuk’s other arm wrapped comfortably across Wooseok’s waist.

He wasn’t certain when their casual skinship developed into something like this but it felt natural. It felt like they had known one another for years and this was something they’d always been doing. But no matter how natural it felt, Wooseok’s heart seemed to beat a little quicker whenever Jinhyuk touched him.

In the middle of the night, lying next to one another with their worries out the window, it felt comfortable to talk to one another about everything under the moon. No one was watching them when they were alone, like this. In the few days he stayed with Jinhyuk, he quickly learned that this was the moment he looked forward to the most.

And as much as it seemed to complicate their relationship, Wooseok ignored the screaming in the back of his head that dared to suggest that he was just indulging in Jinhyuk—simply because he might want more from him. Wooseok pushed the thoughts away—he was simply indulging in the comfort of the moment.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Jinhyuk told him. He brushed Wooseok’s bangs out of his eyes, “about my birthday, that is. I didn’t want to burden you with staying for me longer.”

“Do you want me to stay with you for your birthday?” he asked, his voice was soft. Now that they were alone, now that Jinsuk wasn’t around to complain about them changing their plans without her, he could get Jinhyuk to tell him the truth. “If you don’t want me to then I can be out of here in the morning.”

“I don’t want you to leave so suddenly,” Jinhyuk frowned.

“But do you want me to stay with you for your birthday?”

There was the rustling of the sheets as Jinhyuk moved.

Jinhyuk chuckled softly, “I would keep you forever if I could.”

Wooseok rolled his eyes, “You’re not answering my question, you flirt.”

Jinhyuk shifted and pulled Wooseok a little closer to himself. His lips tugged into a small smile.

“I just feel like I’m forcing you to do a lot of things that you really don’t want to do,” he replied. “I feel like you’re just doing these things because you feel too bad to say no to me when I ask.”

Wooseok frowned, “I wouldn’t do something that I don’t want to do just because you asked.”

“Right,” Jinhyuk replied, “That’s not like you at all.”

Jinhyuk’s eyes searched Wooseok’s expression for something. He sighed.

“I want you to stay as long as you want to stay,” he told him. “I’m going back to Seoul on Friday morning. If you want to stay with me until then, we can do my birthday and then we can head back together.”

“That sounds like a good plan.”

“You can drive my car back,” he said. “We won’t have to take public transit.”

Wooseok’s eyes twinkled, “You should just give me your car. I’m the only one who drives it.”

“Do you want it?”

Wooseok’s eyes widened, “You’re not serious, are you?”

“Of course not,” Jinhyuk laughed. He grinned, “I can’t gift a gift. You’re welcome to drive my car but it’s still my car, Wooseok.”

“You can’t even drive, though!”

“Ah, but it’s still my car. And you’re only allowed to drive me around in my car,” Jinhyuk replied, cheekily. Wooseok groaned. Jinhyuk poked his cheek with a laugh, “I’ll give you anything else you want.”

Wooseok made a face, “What else could I possibly want other than your beautiful car?”

“Maybe its beautiful owner?” Jinhyuk teased. Wooseok swatted at him.

“I already have him!” he exclaimed. Jinhyuk laughed, head thrown back with his laughter.

“You do,” he mused. “You really do.”

And for a moment, they fell silent and stared at one another. The silence settled between them like a comforting blanket. Wooseok’s lips tugged into a soft smile as he looked at Jinhyuk.

The annoying voice in the back of his head told him Jinhyuk’s words meant something—he ignored it.

“Jinsuk’s right, you know?” Jinhyuk murmured. Wooseok glanced at him curiously, he tilted his head, “Why wouldn’t I invite my own boyfriend to my birthday?”

“Because you’re mean?” Wooseok suggested. His eyes narrowed, “Or maybe because we broke up?”

“You can stop joking about that,” Jinhyuk tangled their legs together with a pout. “I’ve emphasized a million times over that I’m not going to be the one to break up with you. And you’ll break my heart if you break up with me while we’re cuddling in my childhood bedroom.”

Wooseok laughed, “Okay, okay. I’ll stop joking about it.”

_We’re not actually dating anyway_—he didn’t say it. He didn’t want to mention it.

“So, you’re coming to my birthday party, right?” Jinhyuk asked. He looked a little hesitant, a little hopeful.

Wooseok nodded his head with a smile. _So cute._

“As long as you make sure that Hwanhee won’t eat me alive.”

Jinhyuk laughed at that, bright and sharp. He looked back at Wooseok with his eyes shining, endearment and warmth in them. Wooseok held his breath—_so, so cute._

“I’ll protect you,” Jinhyuk whispered. The taller man’s arms squeezed him gently and Wooseok swore his heart exploded into tiny bits of affection. It all felt so _foreign _but then Jinhyuk was smiling at him and everything felt like it was going to be alright. “Is that okay?”

Wooseok buried his face into the crook of Jinhyuk’s neck, lips curved into a smile.

He giggled and nodded his head.

“Yes, that’s perfect.”

The world’s greatest betrayal was the morning of Jinhyuk’s birthday when Wooseok woke up in bed alone. The fact that Jinhyuk wasn’t holding him wasn’t the problem, though. The problem was that Wooseok couldn’t find Jinsuk anywhere in the house. Her bedroom door was locked and her shoes were missing from the rack by the front door. The biggest betrayal in the world was the fact that Jinsuk coaxed him into staying with them so they could spend more time together and _left _him on the day of her brother’s _birthday_.

Wooseok _couldn’t _believe he’d been scammed by a teenaged girl. 

(“Jinsuk? She went to Japan with dad,” Jinhyuk told him when he asked about his little sister. Jinhyuk looked surprised upon being asked. “She didn’t tell you? She doesn’t usually stick around for my birthday because she gets an opportunity to do photoshoots in Tokyo.”)

The second greatest scam in the world was Hwanhee’s promise to not bother the hell out of Wooseok as soon as he met up with them at Jinhyuk’s house. Hwanhee had been insistent that he wouldn’t annoy the hell out of Wooseok because it was his boyfriend’s birthday. Unfortunately for Wooseok, Hwanhee _lied_. 

Regardless of what he promised Jinhyuk, Hwanhee stuck closely by Wooseok’s side from the moment they met up at the restaurant. At some point, it got awkward to have someone hawking his every movement. Wooseok lost his patience somewhere between singing an obnoxiously loud _Happy Birthday_ song to Jinhyuk, the gift-giving, and branching out into smaller groups.

All of Jinhyuk’s guests had drifted off into their own corners of the house and made themselves comfortable. Jinhyuk was speaking to Yein by the kitchen and Wooseok played with his phone on the sofa. Hwanhee sat across from him on the sofa, careful eyes watching him.

Wooseok exhaled and dropped his phone into his lap, annoyed. 

“Listen, Hwanhee,” he started, “I’m not trying to start a fight with Jinhyuk’s high school friends on his birthday but do you have some kind of problem with me?”

“That’s direct,” Hwanhee remarked. Wooseok rolled his eyes.

“Being direct is better than staring at someone for hours without saying anything,” Wooseok retorted and crossed his arms over his chest. “I know you said you thought I was pretty but that’s not how you look at someone who you think looks pretty. You’re looking at me like you want to either kill me or eat me alive.”

Hwanhee shrugged, nonchalantly. “I’m just watching you because I just don’t think that you’re actually dating Jinhyuk hyung.”

At Hwanhee’s accusation, there was a panic that began to build in the pit of Wooseok’s stomach but his annoyance overrode that burst of panic. He scoffed.

“What kind of proof do you need? I don’t need to hang on his arm for every single second of his life for us to be dating,” Wooseok hissed. Hwanhee frowned.

“Calm down, tiger,” he replied. Hwanhee made a face at him, “You don’t need to get so defensive about it. I’m just saying it looks suspicious. You both look really panicky around each other—or well, you do. Jinhyuk hyung looks at you like you gave him all the stars in the sky.”

“_I_ look panicky?” he laughed, humourless and disbelieving. 

_He was the better actor between them in front of others. What happened?_

“You look like you don’t know what you want to do with yourself,” Hwanhee corrected. The younger man crossed his arms over his chest and gave Wooseok a slow glance-over. He frowned, “You look awkward when you’re with him in a crowd of people. You don’t look _comfortable_ standing next to him for him to show you off.”

“Who is ever going to be comfortable when they hang out with their boyfriend’s friends for the first time?” Wooseok challenged. He huffed, irritated, “What’s your _point_, Hwanhee?”

“You didn’t even get him a gift,” Hwanhee continued to speak, ignoring Wooseok, “It’s his birthday, you know?”

“I don’t have to _show_ everyone that I got him something!” Wooseok exclaimed. But there was a guilt that bit at him. He didn’t actually get Jinhyuk anything for his birthday. Hwanhee didn’t need to know that. “What is your point?”

“I’m just saying,” Hwanhee looked up at him. His eyes were fierce when they met with Wooseok’s eyes again, “If you’re just with him for the sake of being his arm candy because you know he’s rich, then you should give it up.”

Wooseok’s jaw dropped. He was _offended_.

“I’m _sorry?_“ he managed. Wooseok looked around them briefly—he did his best to not cause a scene at Jinhyuk’s birthday party. He turned back to Hwanhee and gritted his teeth, “You think I’m dating him because he’s _rich?_ Am I hearing this correctly? For fuck’s sake, I didn’t even know he had money until I got here!”

“You wouldn’t be the first one to try it,” Hwanhee narrowed his eyes. Wooseok couldn’t believe this. “I’m just saying that Jinhyuk hyung is trusting and too romantic. With all due respect, I’m really not accusing you of being a gold-digger—I’m trying to protect my friend.”

“You don’t need to _protect_ him from me,” Wooseok hissed. “I’d _never_ try to hurt him.”

Hwanhee shrugged his shoulders. “Okay,” he said. The younger man’s eyes burned into Wooseok, “I’ll take your word for it. We’ll see what happens. If you hurt him, you’ll remember that I already warned you.”

“Do you do this to everyone Jinhyuk brings home?”

Hwanhee stared at him for a long time. His eyes were unreadable.

“No,” he said after a long moment of silence. He pursed his lips and shook his head, “You’re the first boy he’s ever brought home to introduce to us as his boyfriend. He never called anyone else his boyfriend. He always refused the label no matter what anyone else said.”

That was the second confirmation of the fact. Wooseok hesitated.

_What did that mean? Did it mean anything at all?_

“Well,” he managed to say, “maybe you should take his word for it and not terrorize his boyfriend.”

Hwanhee averted his eyes from Wooseok. The younger man leaned back against the sofa with a frown on his lips, “Whatever, just don’t hurt him.”

Silence swallowed the atmosphere between them. The tension remained even when the conversation was already over. Wooseok fell back against the sofa, his eyebrows knitted together in annoyance.

“You’re not so pretty when you look so angry,” Hwanhee muttered.

Wooseok shot him a glare, “_Wow_, I wonder who pissed me off.”

Hwanhee ignored him. The younger man reached for the drink sitting on the table.

“So, what _did_ you get him for his birthday?”

“Don’t try to make conversation with me after you’ve done everything to offend me.”

“Jinhyuk hyung wouldn’t be happy to know that we’re fighting.”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t have started shit with me,” Wooseok retorted. Hwanhee bit back a laugh.

“Listen,” he said. Hwanhee looked genuinely apologetic for a moment. The younger man clasped his hands together and rested his elbows against his knees. He inhaled, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for judging you so quickly and making assumptions about you when I don’t even know you. But, please understand that Jinhyuk hyung is someone who trusts people too easily and we don’t want him to get hurt.”

Wooseok huffed, “I understand the sentiment but I don’t appreciate that you just launched it all out on me. I wouldn’t have cared if you kept it to yourself but you followed me around and stared me down.”

“I also apologize for being too much, then,” Hwanhee replied.

Wooseok looked at him, “I don’t know if I want to accept that apology, right now.” He caught sight of Jinhyuk laughing at something Yein said in his peripheral. Wooseok’s will to fight Hwanhee suddenly dissipated, “Can we just agree to play nice for Jinhyuk’s sake?”

Hwanhee shrugged his shoulders.

“Tell me what you got him for his birthday.”

Wooseok shrank in his seat.

He frowned, “I’ve spent all my time with Jinhyuk since I got here.” He started making excuses. He didn’t get Jinhyuk anything and he felt bad about it but he wasn’t going to lie to Hwanhee about what he did. “We haven’t been dating for a long time, you know? I didn’t know that it was his birthday so I didn’t prepare anything for him.” He sighed, “Jinsuk told me the other day and I haven’t been able to get away from him to _get_ him anything for his birthday.”

Hwanhee’s lips curved into a mischievous smile. “Aren’t you going to give him a kiss?”

Wooseok hesitated. “A kiss?”

Hwanhee arched an eyebrow at him, challenging. “You’re dating, aren’t you?”

Something in Wooseok snapped.

_Fuck playing nice. This kid wanted to fight._

“Jinhyuk, baby, come here.”

Wooseok’s tone was demanding as he stood up from the sofa. Caught by surprise at the pet name and the tone of Wooseok’s voice, Jinhyuk turned away from the conversation he was having with Yein to look at him. Jinhyuk placed his drink back down on the counter. He made his way over to Wooseok’s side.

He looked concerned.

“Is there something wrong?” He looked between Hwanhee and Wooseok, their eyes blazing at one another. From the air between them, Wooseok knew Jinhyuk could tell that they weren’t happy.

Without looking at him, Wooseok grabbed Jinhyuk’s hand and tugged him down beside him on the sofa. Jinhyuk stumbled before he landed on the sofa next to Wooseok. Wooseok’s possessive grip held Jinhyuk still beside him. The younger man was glaring at Hwanhee. Speechless and confused, Jinhyuk opened his mouth to question them but before he could speak, everything blurred.

And everything happened too quickly for either of them to process—for any of them to process. Wooseok pushed the taller man back against the sofa and leaned in to press their lips together in a kiss. Jinhyuk’s eyes widened, feeling Wooseok’s lips against his.

Amid his shock, Jinhyuk’s hands instinctively found their way down to rest against Wooseok’s hips. Wooseok’s hands raised to cup Jinhyuk’s face, gently.

Jinhyuk’s lips were soft. Jinhyuk’s lips were _so_ soft.

It was a burst of emotions as their lips touched—electric and scorching. It coursed through Wooseok’s veins and pulled him deeper into the need to feel Jinhyuk’s lips on his. Wooseok tilted his head as Jinhyuk deepened their kiss. He melted into it.

His heart pounded in his chest and his mind spun, the sparks spread across his body to _remind_ him that—no matter how much he denied it to himself—he was waiting for a moment like this. He was waiting for the moment he could kiss Jinhyuk. _Like this._

Forgetting everything around them, Jinhyuk lifted Wooseok and pressed his back down against the sofa. He tilted his head, lips parting to slide his tongue into Jinhyuk’s mouth. The older man groaned and pulled Wooseok’s body flush against his own.

When they finally pulled away from one another with heavy breathing and hazy eyes, Jinhyuk looked down at him with his eyes blown wide. There was an unspoken affection in his eyes. Wooseok felt as if he might drown in it.

“Guys…” Hwanhee’s voice interrupted them. His voice was soft and full of regrets. “… I’m still here.”

They snapped out of it. The young man’s eyes were wide with horror. Jinhyuk scrambled off of Wooseok and sat up straight. He fixed his hair with his fingers, focused on pretending nothing happened.

Wooseok felt a sinking feeling in his gut as his surroundings returned to him.

_Holy fuck, what has he done?_

Impossibly shy, Wooseok hid his face in the soft material of Jinhyuk’s shirt. His cheeks were flushed with colour. Taking pity on him, Jinhyuk wrapped his arms around Wooseok’s smaller body with a soft laugh.

“… did you miss me, baby?” Jinhyuk asked, teasingly. Hwanhee made a disgusted face behind them.

Wooseok meekly nodded against him, the tips of his ears burned bright red.

Wooseok wanted to die.

Rolling into bed with Jinhyuk that night was a lot different from the previous nights of comfortable cuddling and senseless conversations that just happened to fill the space between them with warmth. Wooseok did his best to escape from the living room—away from Jinhyuk and his friends—when he got the chance to do it. He pretended he was sleepy and made a dramatic show out of telling Jinhyuk that he was _so tired_ and going to bed early.

The look in Jinhyuk’s eyes made it obvious that he knew Wooseok was lying. But what Jinhyuk knew wasn’t obvious information to his friends. Yein—the angel he was—had gasped and insisted that they should all head home early so that both Wooseok and Jinhyuk could go to bed together. Hwanhee had given him a look, equal parts suspicious and mischievous. Wooseok ran up the stairs without looking back. 

When Wooseok rolled onto Jinhyuk’s bed, he sprawled himself across the bed like a starfish. He sprawled out on the bed and berated himself for acting so carelessly around Jinhyuk. Without anyone around to witness his childish thrashing, Wooseok flailed on the bed to rid himself of his internalized frustration.

_How could he have been so careless?_

It felt so _good_ to kiss Jinhyuk—it really did. But it felt so out of line in retrospect. Wooseok couldn’t believe that he lost sight of the fact that their relationship was meant to be _fake_ as soon as his lips touched Jinhyuk’s. It was as if something had taken over his conscious mind and buried it; it being every reasonable aspect of his being. He blanked and all he could think about was kissing Jinhyuk.

Wooseok was left alone to wallow in self-pity for a half-hour before he heard the party downstairs die. He heard Jinhyuk walk his friends to the front door. Wooseok tensed when he heard the front door shut and the sound of soft footsteps made their way up the stairs.

As soon as Wooseok heard the doorknob turn, he squished himself into the smallest possible corner of the bed and willed his body to somehow become as tiny as possible, as if it would make him disappear into thin air. He hoped that he had somehow shrunk into the tiniest form of Kim Wooseok and Jinhyuk wouldn’t see him.

Unsurprisingly, it didn’t work.

Jinhyuk sat on the bed next to him. His presence was announced by the dip in the bed next to Wooseok. He watched Wooseok with amused eyes—surprisingly not judgemental of the younger man’s (very painfully obvious) wishes to vanish into thin air. Wooseok hoped his embarrassment would eat him alive. At least then he wouldn’t have to deal with Jinhyuk. _Jinhyuk and the memory of kissing him out of nowhere._

“Wooseok,” Jinhyuk called. Wooseok had never wanted to _explode_ so much in his life. He pretended he didn’t hear him. Wooseok grabbed one of the pillows on the bed and hid under it. Jinhyuk laughed at that. _“Wooseok.”_

Meekly, Wooseok responded, “… yes?”

“I think you have something to tell me.”

He hesitated. 

“… happy birthday,” Wooseok murmured. Jinhyuk chuckled.

“Not quite what I was looking for but thank you.”

The older man laid down next to him on the bed and tapped his shoulder. Stubbornly, Wooseok refused to turn to look at him. Jinhyuk wrapped his arms around him instead. Jinhyuk’s body was warm and pressed right up against him. Wooseok held his breath.

“Look at me, Wooseok,” he whispered. “I’m not asking for anything, you don’t have to be so tense. Don’t be scared.”

Wooseok inhaled sharply, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Jinhyuk sounded surprised.

Wooseok shifted. He turned around in Jinhyuk’s arms and looked up at the older man with wide eyes. He gripped into Jinhyuk’s shirt, his eyes practically shaking with worry. He swallowed his guilt.

“For kissing you so suddenly,” he mumbled. “I should have given you a warning or something. Or like, _not do it_.”

Jinhyuk’s eyes softened. He chuckled quietly, “I didn’t mind it. Don’t apologize for that.”

Despite Jinhyuk’s reassurance—and the sudden brewing of confusing emotions in his chest from the look in Jinhyuk’s eyes—Wooseok still felt the need to explain himself. _Somehow_ make himself look much less like a creep who really would just grab Jinhyuk and kiss him out of nowhere. 

“Hwanhee was trying to fight me,” Wooseok said as if it would explain everything. At Jinhyuk’s curious eyebrow arch, Wooseok realized it didn’t. He cleared his throat, “He didn’t believe that we were dating and he pissed me off.”

“So, you kissed me?” There was an amused lilt in Jinhyuk’s voice.

Wooseok’s cheeks flushed. He averted his eyes, “He asked me if I was going to kiss you and then in this really obnoxious voice, he was like,” Wooseok raised his tone to mock Hwanhee, _“oh, aren’t you dating him?” _He grimaced as Jinhyuk’s lips pulled into an amused smirk. “What was I supposed to do? Say no?”

Jinhyuk chuckled. He reached to gently touch Wooseok’s cheek with the tips of his fingers, “No. Don’t say no,” he said. His voice was soft and his eyes met with Wooseok’s eyes, sweet like honey. Wooseok felt his heart unreasonably thud in his chest. Jinhyuk smiled, “Kissing me was a good call. It was also a good kiss.”

Wooseok flushed.

A million thoughts suddenly rushed through his mind.

With his heart pounding so loudly in his chest, Wooseok realized: _he didn’t want to run away from this. _As nervous as he was, as embarrassed as he was, as shy as he was, as loud as his heart was in his ears, Wooseok didn’t want to let go of the moment he laid in Jinhyuk’s arms—he didn’t want him to look away.

With his heart pounding so loudly, Wooseok wanted to be selfish.

Wooseok’s throat felt dry when he reached to gently touch Jinhyuk’s jaw. The older man looked at him with piercing eyes. He subconsciously licked his lips.

“Do you think it looked real?” Wooseok asked, softly. Jinhyuk tilted his head, his eyebrows furrowed. 

“What?”

“The kiss,” Wooseok clarified. He watched the myriad of thoughts cross Jinhyuk’s eyes in a quick blur—too quick for Wooseok to try to read. The longer the silence settled between them, the more anxious Wooseok got. He had half a mind to push Jinhyuk away and run to the guest room, hide in there for the rest of the night.

_But his mind grounded him. _His mind reminded him that he didn’t want this moment to leave him feeling empty and disappointed again. Wooseok raised his eyes, peering up at Jinhyuk from under his long, dark lashes. Jinhyuk took a breath.

“Did the kiss look real?” Jinhyuk repeated. Wooseok held his breath.

“Yeah, did it?” Wooseok tried to play off his eagerness as casual interest. He doubted it worked but he hoped Jinhyuk couldn’t see right through him, he hoped Jinhyuk couldn’t hear the way his heart was pounding in his chest. _He hoped he could make the best of this fake relationship while it lasted._

“I don’t know, did it?” Jinhyuk hummed. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes, “Should we ask someone?”

Wooseok’s nerves spiked. He inhaled, “If we ask someone, we’re ruining our whole plan. But I mean, we’ve never kissed before that. I wouldn’t know—was it natural? Kind of weird? Would anyone believe us?”

Jinhyuk pulled Wooseok flush against his body. It drew a surprised gasp from the younger man’s lips.

The silence weighed heavily on Wooseok. His hands gripped into the material of Jinhyuk’s shirt, unsure of what to do with them. If Jinhyuk could feel the pounding of Wooseok’s heartbeat against him, then he pretended not to. 

“Are you trying to kiss me again?” Jinhyuk asked him. The tone of his voice was low and quiet—it sent a sudden spark down Wooseok’s spine. Their foreheads were pressed together and Jinhyuk’s lips were bare centimetres away from his. He could feel Jinhyuk’s breath against his lips. Wooseok swallowed.

“Yeah,” he breathed, soft and quiet—full of nerves, “I am.”

And then it felt electrifying. 

Jinhyuk’s lips pressed against his and the warmth in Wooseok’s chest exploded into a quick flash across his body; tingling. It ignited something inside of Wooseok that turned his melting heart into liquid courage. He closed his eyes, wrapped his arms around Jinhyuk’s neck and pulled him closer. Jinhyuk groaned into his mouth in response.

It spurred Wooseok’s confidence and blurred everything around them.

They kissed until they were dizzy and out of breath. The unreasonably smitten part of Wooseok didn’t want to let go of Jinhyuk, didn’t want to stop kissing him—_rationality be damned._ They parted long enough for a breath of air before Wooseok leaned back in to catch Jinhyuk’s lips against his own, his hands cupping Jinhyuk’s jaw.

Wooseok hooked his leg over Jinhyuk’s hip and pushed the older man down against the bed. They broke from the kiss as Jinhyuk fell back against the soft pillows. Wooseok panted softly, trying to catch his breath. Jinhyuk looked up at him with dark eyes, dazed and heated. The taller man’s hands fell to his hips, a strong grip. Wooseok leaned down to kiss him again, his hands tangled into Jinhyuk’s hair.

Jinhyuk kissed him like he couldn’t get enough. Wooseok wouldn’t have it any other way. 

When Wooseok caught Jinhyuk’s lower lip between his teeth and gently tugged, Jinhyuk laughed against his lips. Wooseok flushed and pulled away from the heated kiss, suddenly snapping back to reality: this was all supposed to be fake. He’d gotten so lost in kissing Jinhyuk that he lost sight of that—again.

It suddenly felt all too risqué. Jinhyuk gave him the permission to kiss him—hell, Jinhyuk kissed _him_. 

“Oh my God,” he whispered. “I’m so sor—”

“Don’t be sorry,” Jinhyuk murmured, cutting him off. The taller man coaxed him to lean back down with long fingers curling into his hair and the hand of his hips drawing slow patterns into his skin. “Come back here.”

Jinhyuk pulled him back into a kiss; steady, this time. As if falling back into the trance, Wooseok melted into him.

The kisses scattered.

Jinhyuk’s little kisses peppered against his jawline; Jinhyuk’s soft kiss to the tip of his nose before he fell back against the bed with his head thrown back in laughter.

“I would believe someone if they told me they were dating and kissed like that in front of me,” he breathed. 

“Yeah?” Wooseok whispered, breathless. “It’s believable, right?”

He remained seated on top of Jinhyuk, straddling the taller man’s waist. His fingers traced along Jinhyuk’s jaw, featherlight and slow. Jinhyuk’s eyes fluttered shut and he leaned into the touch.

Jinhyuk hummed softly in response. Wooseok’s fingers stilled to a stop against Jinhyuk’s neck. 

Jinhyuk’s eyes opened as Wooseok’s fingers stilled. He raised an eyebrow at him, the unspoken question lingering heavily in the air. Wooseok’s thoughts flickered in his mind—inappropriate. His eyes fixed themselves onto the smooth skin of Jinhyuk’s neck, exposed from the way his t-shirt fell off his shoulder. 

If this were any other moment of his life, if this were a moment where Wooseok held himself to a more rational standard, he might not have succumbed to his dangerous thoughts. But the Wooseok who was seated in Jinhyuk’s lap had a mind heavy and hazed from the heated kisses he shared with Jinhyuk. The Wooseok who was breathless from kissing Jinhyuk didn’t _want_ to differentiate between rational and irrational. 

Spurred on by the heat of the moment, he threw his caution to the wind.

“You know what would be more believable?” he whispered.

Before Jinhyuk could ask any questions, Wooseok leaned back down to bury his face into Jinhyuk’s neck. 

Surprise was muffled by the sensation of Wooseok’s lips against his neck. Jinhyuk groaned loudly as Wooseok’s lips pressed to the side of his neck. Jinhyuk’s grip on Wooseok’s hips tightened, holding the younger man still. Wooseok littered little kisses against the soft skin of Jinhyuk’s neck, gentle and soft. He could feel Jinhyuk’s breath hitch at the back of his throat. Wooseok’s fingers gripped into Jinhyuk’s shoulder as he sucked a bruise into the older man’s neck. 

For as long as it took for Wooseok to be satisfied with the mark he left on Jinhyuk’s neck, the world around them didn’t exist. For as long as it took for Wooseok’s selfishness to finally escape him, all that mattered was _this moment_ where nothing else existed but him and Jinhyuk. Because for as long as they were hidden in the safety of Jinhyuk’s bedroom, Wooseok could pretend that he was doing all this for the sake of making things _realistic_. 

And maybe then, the feelings that were threatening to swallow him alive wouldn’t seem too real.

Wooseok pressed a soft kiss to the blooming red spot on Jinhyuk’s neck before he finally pulled away.

Jinhyuk was watching him with fond eyes when he looked down at him. Wooseok stared down at him silently, still unwilling to shake the atmosphere between them. Jinhyuk’s hand raised to gently touch the spot on his neck.

He quirked an eyebrow at Wooseok. And for the millionth time that night, reality smacked Wooseok in the face like an unwanted splash of cold water. Wooseok rolled off of Jinhyuk’s body, dramatically deflating into the pillow. He avoided Jinhyuk’s eyes.

“Is this my birthday gift?” Jinhyuk asked with a soft laugh. Wooseok rolled his eyes. He snuggled up against Jinhyuk instead of gracing him with an answer. Jinhyuk took it as affirmative. “Thanks, I love it.”

“Shut up,” Wooseok mumbled, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed. “Go to sleep.”

It seemed Jinhyuk was set on teasing him. _Jinhyuk was terrible._ It was on his own accord that he did it, that was all on Wooseok and his failure to hold himself grounded in the presence of Lee Jinhyuk. But Wooseok felt the embarrassment try to eat him alive, he could feel Jinhyuk’s smirk lingering in the air. _The little shit._

“Sleepy, baby?” There was an obvious note of endearment in Jinhyuk’s voice that made the butterflies explode in Wooseok’s stomach. His embarrassment drained when Jinhyuk wrapped his arms around Wooseok’s waist and pulled him closer. He gently guided Wooseok’s head to rest against him. 

“You don’t have to call me that when no one’s around,” Wooseok murmured against Jinhyuk’s neck. Jinhyuk’s fingers absently scratched Wooseok’s scalp, he hummed quietly. Wooseok leaned into the touch. 

“What if I want to?” Jinhyuk asked with a soft chuckle. “Will you let me?”

Wooseok made himself comfortable against Jinhyuk. As exhaustion slowly pulled him away from consciousness, Wooseok found the strength to murmur a snarky response to Jinhyuk’s inquiry.

“Have you lost your mind and fallen in love with me because I gave you a hickey?”

Jinhyuk laughed, a breathless sound. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of Wooseok’s head.

“_Hmm_, maybe I have.”

Wooseok pretended the flutter in his chest didn’t happen.

The moment he returned to Seoul and dropped Jinhyuk off at his place, it felt like he was finally ending a dream. An entire week spent with Jinhyuk by his side suddenly felt like it never happened. An entire week of feeling like he was sitting on clouds, gone. Sitting in his bedroom, all alone, Wooseok felt as if he was missing something. Even as he surveyed the familiar walls of his bedroom, his mind couldn’t get itself off the memory of sitting on his desk with Jinhyuk staring up at him. Strangely, he couldn’t shake the thought of being with Jinhyuk—couldn’t help but hopelessly want the week to start over.

It was all a little too much. It was all a little too lonely.

Frustrated with himself and all of his thoughts, Wooseok got up from his bed. A glance to the clock mounted on the wall of his bedroom, Wooseok figured there was no way his best friend was already asleep at half-past eleven. Yohan stayed up later than he did. Given that it was the summer break, Yohan had absolutely nothing to do and that was all the more reason to stay up and do absolutely nothing.

With that mentality set in his mind, Wooseok made his way down the hall to Yohan’s room.

“Yohan,” Wooseok’s voice was quiet when he knocked on the door of Yohan’s bedroom.

The younger man was a little slow to respond. There was a pause. A long silence.

_“Yeah, I’ll talk to you later,”_ he heard Yohan’s voice through the door—a soft whisper. Then, there was the soft padding of Yohan’s footsteps. The door to Yohan’s bedroom opened.

“Hey,” Yohan greeted him, poking his head out of the bedroom with a bright smile. As soon as their eyes met, Yohan’s eyes widened, startled. His smile dropped, “Whoa, hyung, are you okay?”

_He wasn’t aware that his feelings were showing so clearly on his face._

Wooseok sighed, “Do I look okay?”

“No, you look like shit,” Yohan answered honestly. He earned himself a glare from Wooseok. The younger man recoiled with a pout. He pulled Wooseok into his room by the wrist with a frown on his lips, “No, but what’s wrong? I thought you had a blast with Jinhyuk hyung. You didn’t text me all week except to tell me that you were staying longer.”

Wooseok didn’t want to answer him. He avoided Yohan’s inquiry with a shift of his eyes.

“Who was that on the phone?” he asked.

Yohan shut the door behind them with a sheepish smile. It clicked quietly.

“Um, no one?” Yohan replied. Wooseok looked at him.

“When did you start hiding things from me?”

Yohan looked guilty. The younger man wrung his hands together and hid a shy smile.

“It was just Seungwoo hyung.” A pause. “Just one of our nightly phone calls.”

“Nightly phone calls? I disappear for a week and you got yourself a boyfriend?” Wooseok threw himself onto Yohan’s bed with a groan. He curled up into a ball on the younger man’s bed. “I was _wondering_ why you weren’t blowing up my phone while I was gone.”

_“Hyung, it’s not like that!”_ Yohan sat down on the bed beside him with a pout on his lips, “Is that really the problem here? You came into my room looking like you wanted to either burn yourself alive or burn the world down. What did Jinhyuk hyung do?”

Wooseok groaned and grabbed one of the plush toys on Yohan’s bed. _The topic was back on him. _He supposed he came to Yohan’s room because he wanted someone to talk to in the first place. He sat up on Yohan’s bed and hugged the giant bunny to his chest with a miserable whine, _“Yohan, help me.”_

“What did he do?” There was a sudden burn of overprotectiveness in Yohan’s eyes, “What happened? Tell me about it—who do I need to beat up?”

Wooseok peered at his best friend from behind the ear of the stuffed bunny. He frowned but his heart softened at the way his best friend suddenly got protective of him. Wooseok sighed.

“You don’t need to beat anyone up, Yohan,” he told him, softly. “I’m just stressed about my feelings.”

“Your feelings?” Yohan blinked rapidly. Seldom did Wooseok talk about his feelings to anyone, including his best friend. Yohan’s surprise was justified. He laid down on the bed beside Wooseok, “Okay, so this is a lot more serious than I thought it was.”

Wooseok nudged him with a frown. Yohan gave him a look.

“Someone physically hurting you isn’t as serious as someone hurting you emotionally, hyung,” Yohan told him, almost uncharacteristically serious. “I know you could knock the shit out of someone if you really wanted to. _Don’t look at me like that._ Just tell me what’s wrong.”

Wooseok’s gaze softened. He sighed and squeezed the bunny to his chest.

“… I think I like Jinhyuk, Yohan,” he said. As soon as the words left his lips, Wooseok buried his face into the plush bunny to hide the force of overwhelming embarrassment that suddenly spiked through his body.

Yohan was visibly confused.

“Um,” he started, “well, I’m sure you do. You guys are dating, after all?”

“No. _No, you don’t get it._“

Yohan’s expression twisted with confusion. He frowned, “No? Um, I’m not following.”

Wooseok sighed, exasperated, “We’re not dating. We’re not _actually _dating.”

He couldn’t believe there came a day when he really needed to explain this to someone. He couldn’t believe there came a day when he actually developed feelings for someone when it was all meant to be fake—hell, he could barely wrap his head around the fact that someone had him so smitten. It was so out of character, it was so unlike him. _And to develop feelings for Lee Jinhyuk?_ For someone that he had only gone on a single date with before everything fell to shambles? Wooseok felt hopeless.

“Okay, so then you’re fucking?” Yohan’s brows furrowed. He tilted his head as he pondered the situation, “So, you’re stressed because you developed feelings for him and now you want to cuff him?” The gears in Yohan’s brain turned and his eyes brightened at a solution his brain conjured in a matter of seconds, “Well, if you cuff him, then you’ll get to freely go to basketball games again!”

Wooseok was caught off guard by Yohan’s conclusion.

He blinked, “Hey—hey, that’s a valid point.” Wooseok hesitated. It took a moment for Yohan’s statement to actually sink in. “_Wait_. Wait, no it isn’t. That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!”

Yohan crossed his arms over his chest with a frown.

_“No,” _he told him. “The dumbest thing I’ve ever heard is you crying about liking a boy that you have a _thing_ with. I don’t really care what the thing you have with him is. He calls you_ ‘babe’. _You’ve probably already fucked. What’s the problem here?”

“We have _not_ fucked!”

Wooseok deflated against the pillows and he looked down at his hands, feeling pathetic.

Yohan’s eyes flickered across Wooseok’s figure. The look in his eyes clearly showed his regret for speaking so harshly. Yohan reached for Wooseok’s hand to apologize.

Wooseok looked up at him, eyes teary. Yohan froze, not expecting the sudden show of tears.

“It’s so much more complicated than that, Yohan-ah,” he told him, sniffling into his sleeve. Yohan panicked. “We’re not actually dating. It’s all for show. I have feelings for someone that I’m _fake dating_.”

_“Oh.”_

Wooseok heaved out a breath, heavy with the weight of his feelings. “It’s all so much more complicated than you think it is. It’s not so easy to _cuff_ someone when they don’t see you as a _real_ relationship.”

Yohan frowned. He opened his mouth to speak but Wooseok continued.

“After Jackson’s party, the entire fraternity thought we were dating and they invited him to celebrate at the beach house,” he explained in a quiet voice. He hated how fragile he felt talking about it; Wooseok felt so small under Yohan’s gaze. The younger man was patiently waiting for him to tell the story and Yohan would _never _think of him as pathetic but Wooseok felt the self-consciousness building in his gut, “Jinhyuk asked me to fake to be his boyfriend because he didn’t want to go alone when the fraternity told him to take me with him because they thought we were dating. I took you with me because I didn’t want to go alone. It was all supposed to be just for one weekend.”

Yohan reached over to the nightstand to grab a box of tissues. He gently dabbed a soft tissue against Wooseok’s cheek. His eyebrows were furrowed in concern.

“What happened to just one weekend?” he asked, softly. Wooseok took a breath.

“I made a mistake,” he replied. “I told him that I had a lot of fun pretending to be his boyfriend. I told him that I wouldn’t mind if we kept doing it because I didn’t really care about having a real relationship. Well, it looks like I played myself because now I have feelings for him and he probably just still thinks of us as something that was made for the _show _of it.”

“And what made all this suddenly blow up, hyung?” Yohan asked.

Wooseok sniffed. Yohan was quick to hand him another tissue.

“He took me to a lake because he remembered that I told him I loved being by the water—I said that when he was drunk and he _remembered_,” he told him, quietly, “He called me _beautiful _and kissed my forehead. It was so _sweet_, Yohan. And then, I met his little sister and she asked me if I loved him. I didn’t know what to tell her because I didn’t want to crush her dreams. But I kept thinking about it. I kept thinking about it after she asked me and everything just started feeling so different around him. I started paying attention to the little things he did. Everything just felt so… loving.”

He looked up to meet Yohan’s eyes. The younger man gave him an encouraging nod, reassurance that he was still attentively listening.

“I kissed him, you know? I kissed him out of nowhere and it was so good…” Wooseok looked down at his hands again, he absently played with the tissue in his hand. “He kissed me back and I really felt like I meant something to him. And then when we were all alone, without anyone staring at us, we made out in his room like it was nothing—like it was something _normal_. But friends don’t do that, Yohan. _Friends don’t do that._“

Wooseok inhaled, “I shouldn’t have gone to Bucheon with him, Yohan. I shouldn’t have.”

Yohan’s fingers laced with his, comforting. He was quiet for a moment. The younger man gently stroked Wooseok’s hair with his other hand, “And you don’t want to tell him about how you feel?”

“He’s always so gentle with me, Yohan,” he said with a frustrated exhale, shaky with his tears. “He’s so _sweet_ to me. He looks at me with these soft eyes and he calls me _‘baby’ _with this stupidly sweet voice of his… and I want to just _drown _in it. But I don’t want to ruin us with all these stupid feelings.”

The younger man was quiet. He studied Wooseok with careful eyes. Yohan pursed his lips.

“Have you ever thought that maybe he might like you more than just a friend?”

Wooseok laughed, humourless. He shook his head, “That’s only something that would happen in a movie, Yohan. There’s no way that he would.”

“He called you beautiful, he remembered little things about you,” Yohan pointed out. “He’s been okay with fake dating you all this time. And you said he still calls you _‘baby’_? It might not be entirely impossible, hyung.”

Wooseok fell back against the bed again with a soft sigh. He rolled onto his side, miserable.

“I don’t want to get my hopes up for nothing,” he murmured. “I don’t want to think about it anymore.”

Yohan’s eyes softened.

“Okay,” he replied, nodding his head.

And so worthy of his title as Wooseok’s best friend in the world, Yohan changed the topic of discussion at the speed of light. The younger man threw the box of tissues back onto the nightstand and clapped his hands together obnoxiously. He cleared his throat, “Would you like to hear the story about how I followed Seungyoun hyung around on his date with Hangyul at the mall the other day? And how Hangyul thought I was hilarious and bought me ice cream for annoying the hell out of his boyfriend?”

Wooseok’s lips curved into a small smile despite the feeling of dread in his chest.

_“Yohan-ah,” _Wooseok whispered, eyes soft and fond of his best friend.

Yohan rubbed his hand, gently, “What is it, hyung?”

“… can I sleep with you tonight?”

Immediately, Yohan cuddled up against him on the bed. Yohan hooked his leg over Wooseok’s waist. The younger man wrapped his arms around Wooseok, warm and comforting. Yohan’s embrace was warm and safe. Wooseok couldn’t help but think of the nights where Jinhyuk held him in his arms.

“Of course, hyung.”

Not wanting to talk about his feelings for Jinhyuk somehow developed into something a little more than just not wanting to talk about his_ feelings_. Not wanting to talk about his feelings for Jinhyuk developed into harbouring everything in his heart and pretending they didn’t exist. Not wanting to talk about his feelings somehow turned into avoiding everything that made him think of the tall, handsome point guard.

In the mildest sense, Wooseok ghosted Jinhyuk.

Unable to deal with his feelings, Wooseok read the text messages Jinhyuk sent him over and over but he couldn’t bring himself to type up a response he felt was _reasonable_. Without the high of being _with_ Jinhyuk, Wooseok wasn’t as bold. He couldn’t shake the nerves off of himself and he couldn’t text Jinhyuk back without thinking too much about every message he typed out. He stared at his phone, stared at the way the heart attached to Jinhyuk’s name glared back at him threateningly. He couldn’t bring himself to shamelessly play along with their game when no one was watching. _Not anymore._

He told himself that he wasn’t purposefully avoiding Jinhyuk but whenever Yohan asked him if he wanted to tag along to hang out at Seungwoo’s place, Wooseok made up excuses. Yohan’s boyfriend and the object of Wooseok’s confusing affections were roommates—he couldn’t bring himself to accept the offer. Yohan never said anything about his bad excuses but there was always a concerned glimmer in Yohan’s eyes whenever he nodded, silently pulled on his shoes and left their apartment.

With the summer break keeping them away from campus, it was too easy for Wooseok to avoid Jinhyuk. Without the ability to constantly be seeing Jinhyuk around, it was a lot easier to keep his mind off of Jinhyuk when he could help it (though maybe the fact that he was trying so hard to keep his thoughts at bay was telling). Sometimes, Wooseok’s phone buzzed in the early hours of the morning with a sweet ‘good morning’ from Jinhyuk. Sometimes, Wooseok responded to the texts with a cute sticker and nothing more.

Despite everything that made his mission of avoiding the basketball player easier, Wooseok found that keeping his mind off of Jinhyuk was a lot more difficult than he thought.

Denying the fact that he was intentionally avoiding Jinhyuk, Wooseok argued with the small voice in his head that begged him to talk to Jinhyuk because he kept _dreaming_ of the taller man. Persistent, he told himself that he was using his time to hang out with the friends he didn’t get a chance to spend time with during his finals. He pretended he wasn’t spending every conscious moment trying to keep Lee Jinhyuk off of his mind, in hopeless fear that he might fall deeper with every thought. It didn’t help that Jinhyuk appeared in his dreams, a reminder of sweet smiles and airy laughter that made Wooseok’s heart thud.

_Ghosting Jinhyuk entirely?_ He lasted a week.

In the middle of the night, Wooseok ran into Jinhyuk at the convenience store down the street from his apartment. He had forgotten, for the millionth time, that they lived so closely together. It was hard to avoid someone when they were so close to you, Wooseok realized. Still, Wooseok pulled up the hood of his sweater and ducked between the aisles to make a beeline to the shelves storing ramen packets.

Jinhyuk’s eyes were sharper than he hoped.

“Hey,” he called. Wooseok stopped dead in his tracks. “Wooseok.”

Slowly, the younger man turned around. He hoped he didn’t look too guilty.

He flashed a terse smile, “Hey, I didn’t think I’d see you here.”

Jinhyuk’s smile was bright, oblivious to Wooseok’s awkwardness. Or maybe he was ignoring it.

“I live right around the corner, remember?” Jinhyuk pointed out. Causally, he threw an arm around Wooseok’s shoulders and smiled at him. Wooseok’s heart fluttered in his chest at the touch and suddenly, he forgot about his extravagant plan to avoid Jinhyuk at all costs. “What are you getting?”

Wooseok shrugged his shoulders, “We ran out of ramen at home. I got cravings.”

_“Aha,”_ Jinhyuk grinned, “Looks like we’re after the same thing.”

The younger man’s lips tugged into a small, amused smile. He tilted his head, “Ah, so you’re also hopelessly wandering around the convenience store at nearly midnight because you were craving ramen?”

“Says you,” Jinhyuk retorted with a snort. “I was playing games with Seungwoo hyung and we got hungry. He ate the last pack of ramen and sent me off to buy more.”

“That sounds like something Yohan would do,” Wooseok remarked. Jinhyuk chuckled.

“Sounds like they’re perfect for each other, doesn’t it?”

“I never thought I would ever say it,” Wooseok rolled his eyes dramatically. He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Aren’t they the most unlikely couple ever?”

“Are they?” Jinhyuk hummed, “Maybe not the most unlikely.”

“Who would be the most unlikely couple, then?”

“Hwanhee says it’s us,” he replied. Wooseok glanced at him, surprise flickering in his eyes.

“Us?” _But we’re not a real couple—_he swallowed his words. Wooseok picked at a loose thread on the sleeve of his hoodie to avoid thinking too much about it. He huffed, “Fuck what Hwanhee says.”

Jinhyuk laughed and gently guided him towards the display of ramen. Wooseok walked with him, tiny footsteps as Jinhyuk kept him glued to his side.

“Are you in a rush to go anywhere?”

Wooseok took a breath. He shook his head.

Jinhyuk invited him to stay awhile at the convenience store, suggested that they have their ramen at the store together. There was something so typically _university student_ about meeting up in the middle of the night to eat ramen with your friends but he supposed that was what they were. _University students. Friends._

Anything more than that was an act for the public view.

They found themselves sitting at the stools by the window of the convenience store after they paid for their packs of ramen. Jinhyuk slid into the seat beside Wooseok.

“You know, I haven’t heard from you in a while,” Jinhyuk remarked. He left the meaning of his statement for open interpretation. There wasn’t any venom in his voice. It was a casual remark but the spike of guilt in Wooseok’s chest suddenly returned. Jinhyuk snapped apart the wooden chopsticks and stirred his ramen. Wooseok looked down at his bowl.

“… I’ve been catching up with some old friends,” he replied.

_It wasn’t a lie._ It wasn’t the entire truth but it wasn’t a lie.

He couldn’t bring himself to look Jinhyuk in the eye. Wooseok shoved the ramen into his mouth to avoid speaking. _Poor judgement. _Too eager to inhibit his abilities to speak, Wooseok inhaled the ramen too quickly. He choked, the heat of the noodles overwhelming in his mouth.

Jinhyuk glanced at him, worried. He reached a hand out to gently pat his back, an attempt to soothe him.

“Hey, be careful there,” Jinhyuk told him. He was visibly worried but there was that familiar glint of fondness in his eyes, again—and if Wooseok could see it, maybe his mind would have spiralled back into confusion. Jinhyuk frowned, “We don’t want you burning yourself, do we?”

Wooseok covered his mouth with a napkin and coughed. Jinhyuk gently rubbed his back to calm him from his coughing fit. His cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.

“God, this is so embarrassing,” he mumbled. He dropped the napkin onto the table and buried his face into his hands. Wooseok willed himself to vanish into thin air. “I can’t even eat _ramen _without nearly dying.”

_If he wasn’t avoiding Jinhyuk, then he was making an absolute fool of himself in front of him._

Jinhyuk smiled him, “It’s okay. I still think you’re cute.”

Wooseok peeked at him from between his fingers. He glowered at him.

“Stop flirting with me.” _It’s making my heart do weird things. I can’t take it._

Jinhyuk chuckled.

He leaned against the table and rested his chin in his palm. His eyes twinkled with mischief when he looked at Wooseok, “Why? Are you afraid you might fall in love with me?”

Wooseok kicked him underneath the stool.

He ignored him for the rest of the time they spent at the convenience store.

(But he let Jinhyuk walk him home when they finished their meal.)

The incident at the convenience store only left Wooseok more confused about his feelings for Jinhyuk. He liked him, that was something certain. All his friends assured him that the warmth in his chest and the explosions of butterflies in his stomach when he was with Jinhyuk meant he liked him (“That’s how I felt when I looked into Seungwoo hyung’s eyes for the first time,” Yohan told him, solemnly stroking his hair, when Wooseok permitted them to talk about his ‘ambiguous’ feelings for Jinhyuk). And as much as he wanted to deny it, even he knew that he couldn’t avoid the truth. He had a hopeless crush on Lee Jinhyuk.

It was impossible to read Jinhyuk’s mind, though.

Jinhyuk was the one who started their fake relationship and Wooseok might have been the one to keep it going but Jinhyuk’s behaviour never changed. It only felt like Wooseok’s _perception_ of his behaviour changed. Jinhyuk was always sweet to him.

Jinhyuk was gentle and kind from the very first date.

It was just how Jinhyuk was as a person.

It didn’t mean he liked him back.

But even when Wooseok refused to text him for _days_, Jinhyuk acted like nothing happened when they spoke again. When Yohan caught him smiling at his phone, he assumed it was Jinhyuk. Coming to terms with having a crush on Jinhyuk didn’t mean that Wooseok was willing to _tell_ him about his feelings, though.

No matter what anyone told him.

Although Wooseok told Jinhyuk that he was busy hanging out with his old friends, Wooseok didn’t actually leave the house for extended periods of time. He stayed inside the apartment, loitered on the sofa and played games on most days. On the days he needed to go grocery shopping, he would send Yohan—or go to the convenience store at the ass-crack of dawn, when he knew Jinhyuk wouldn’t be awake yet. He told himself he wasn’t avoiding going outside to avoid Jinhyuk. Yohan knew better than to believe him but the younger man never asked any questions nor pushed the topic. Wooseok was grateful for him.

“Hyung, we have visitors,” Yohan called out to him.

Nothing in Yohan’s voice prepared Wooseok for the 183 centimetres of _angry boy_ stomping towards him. _They_ weren’t expecting visitors but when Wooseok poked his head out of the kitchen with confusion in his eyes, _he_ wasn’t expecting to see Seungyoun stomping at an alarming speed straight through the apartment into the kitchen. Wooseok froze with a spatula in his hands and his eyes widened in confusion.

“What?”

Seungyoun jabbed a finger at his chest, “_You_. Where the hell have you been?”

Wooseok blinked rapidly, “Um, I’ve been at home?”

Seungyoun crossed his arms over his chest with a displeased expression. He frowned, “You haven’t responded to the messages in the group chat in _days_ and I haven’t seen your car leave the driveway at all.” Seungyoun narrowed his eyes, “Not to be dramatic but I thought you were _dead_.”

“Why would I be dead?”

“I don’t know!” Seungyoun exclaimed, frustrated, “Maybe because your feelings ate you alive?”

Wooseok frowned, “I would like to think that Yohan would tell you if I died.”

“Well, what if he decided to not tell me? What would I do without one of my be—!”

_“Hyung,”_ came a familiar voice from behind Seungyoun. It was raspy and low but soft—a note of disappointed underlaid his words, almost unnoticeable. It took Wooseok a moment to realize that the voice wasn’t addressing him. It was addressing Seungyoun. He looked up anyway.

For the first time since Seungyoun had stormed into the apartment, Wooseok noticed the boy awkwardly lingering in the hallway outside of the kitchen. Silver hair and sharp features, Wooseok recognized him.

In an attempt to avoid Seungyoun, Wooseok brushed past his friend to greet the boy with a friendly hug.

“Hangyul, it’s so good to see you!” he exclaimed. Hangyul returned the hug and smiled at him, kindly.

He hadn’t seen Hangyul in person since the first time he’d introduced him to Seungyoun in the library. They were studying for a final together at the time and when _Organic Chemistry_ ended, they didn’t have much of an excuse to see each other around. A promise to have lunch together after the final was forgotten in favour of spending time with Seungyoun, anyway.

Wooseok stepped back to give the younger boy a look, up and down. “You look so good.”

Apparently, that was all it took for Seungyoun’s focus to change. Seungyoun grinned.

“Of course, he does,” he told him. Hangyul rolled his eyes and gently pushed the other boy. Seungyoun groaned, dramatically putting on a show about how it hurt a lot. Hangyul ignored him.

_Good to know that everyone gets used to this,_ Wooseok thought.

“Thank you,” Hangyul replied. He glanced at Seungyoun quickly before he looked back to Wooseok, “Um, my boyfriend has been taking good care of me.”

Seungyoun _beamed_.

And suddenly, everything made sense. After Seungyoun’s first date with Hangyul, the number of days he spent hiding out in Wooseok’s apartment decreased drastically. Although the group chat was still active, Seungyoun wasn’t constantly preoccupied with the Switch anymore.

Yohan leaped off the sofa and dashed towards them, scandalized, “Excuse me? How long have you two been dating? Seungyoun hyung, why didn’t you tell us?”

“We’re taking it slow,” Seungyoun replied, flustered. “We only just started dating a week ago.”

Wooseok felt the need to defend Seungyoun.

“To be fair, Yohan, have you told Seungyoun that you’re dating someone?” Wooseok challenged.

“No,” he replied with a pout on his lips. He crossed his arms over his chest and scrunched up his nose, “We’ve been too busy worrying about your love life whenever we talk.”

“You’re dating someone?” Seungyoun gasped. Wooseok chuckled.

“He’s dating Han Seungwoo,” he told him, “You know, captain of the basketball team?”

Seungyoun’s lips curved into a wicked smile. He draped an arm over Yohan’s shoulder, “_Oho,_ an _athlete?_ You successfully wheeled an athlete? Our Kim Yohan?”

Yohan rolled his eyes, “I think we’re conveniently forgetting about the fact that I’m also an athlete.”

“Everyone conveniently forgets that you’re an athlete, Yohan.”

“The basketball team?” Hangyul’s voice tore them away from their discussion of Yohan’s love life. He blinked, “Ah, speaking of the basketball team, how has your love life been, Wooseok hyung?”

Yohan visibly deflated. Seungyoun followed.

“Oh… oh, Hangyul, no—don’t ask him that,” Yohan said.

Hangyul blinked, confused. “Oh, is there—is there something wrong…?”

Wooseok frowned. He shook his head, “Don’t worry about it, guys. We can talk about it. It’s not like anything happened.” He earned arched eyebrows from both Seungyoun and Yohan. He cleared his throat, “Um, it’s been… _complicated_. Complicatedly nonexistent… and miserable.”

The three boys looked at each other and then back at Wooseok.

Yohan spoke first.

“Hey, you guys should stay awhile,” he said to Hangyul and Seungyoun. He ushered them gently towards the living room with a kind smile. “I’ll make some tea and we can go talk in the living room instead of standing here awkwardly in the doorway.”

Yohan gently squeezed Wooseok’s hand, comfortingly, before he disappeared into the kitchen and pushed Wooseok towards the living room with Hangyul and Seungyoun.

Hangyul’s initiation ceremony as an official member of their group of friends was a glorified show of Wooseok pouring his feelings out to him in Wooseok and Yohan’s living room. At some point in time, Yohan’s promise of making tea to accompany their conversations turned into Yohan cautiously hugging a bottle of wine to his chest so that Wooseok could have a _coherent_ conversation.

Alcohol brought out the worst in Wooseok but Hangyul was all too comforting.

Somewhere between several glasses of wine and emotional discussions, Wooseok retold the entire story of what happened between him and Jinhyuk—the fake dating, the dates, the kisses.

It felt almost liberating to be able to tell someone else about everything he was feeling. Hangyul wasn’t with them from the start. He wasn’t there to witness (firsthand) the slow decline of a calm and collected Kim Wooseok to this mess of emotions who didn’t know what to do about the fact that he had a crush on his fake boyfriend. To Wooseok, that meant his response to Wooseok’s incoherent sniffles was unbiased.

That didn’t mean that Hangyul’s opinion differed from his friends in any way, though.

“You really don’t want to tell him about how you feel? You never know the results of a risk unless you try it, you know?” Hangyul gently stroked Wooseok’s hair as the older boy laid in his lap. Hangyul pursed his lips, “It’s kind of like Seungyoun hyung and me.”

“How is it like you and Seungyoun?”

Hangyul shrugged but there was a small smile on his lips. “Well, I didn’t _know_ he liked me for certain but look at us now. You never really _know_ when someone likes you.”

Wooseok sighed, “You didn’t know Seungyoun liked you?”

Hangyul shrugged his shoulders.

He made eye contact with his sheepish boyfriend (who slowly reached to grab the bottle of wine from Yohan), “I had a slight idea but I was more worried about how I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. I didn’t pay too much attention to his side of the equation.”

“So, how am I supposed to figure this out?” Wooseok frowned, “How am I supposed to know?”

He pursed his lips with a thoughtful hum, “You don’t know. If you think about it like you’re in a lab, then you have an _idea_ that someone likes you and that’s your hypothesis. But until you follow through with the methods of your experiment, you’re not going to know what the reaction is going to be. Will there _be_ a reaction? Maybe, maybe not. Will it explode? Hopefully not.” He paused, “You don’t think Jinhyuk likes you… but that’s also just a hypothesis, you know?”

Wooseok ignored that remark. He looked up at Hangyul.

“What changed your mind?” Wooseok asked. Hangyul went silent.

“I decided that I wanted to be with him,” he replied after a moment. “I figured that if our friendship meant enough to him then… even if I made it awkward by confessing, we’d be okay after some time.”

Yohan spoke up, suddenly, “What do you think about how Jinhyuk hyung acts around him?”

Hangyul looked at him, thoughtful. “I haven’t met Jinhyuk, so I can’t make a real judgement. But, I mean, you can’t say _anything_ for certain about how someone else feels. The fact that they’re fake dating adds another layer of obscurity to their relationship and how they should behave with one another, you know?”

Wooseok sighed and grabbed one of the cushions lying on the sofa. Hangyul gently stroked his hair.

“It’s like one of the partial differential equations we were struggling with a couple of months ago, Wooseok hyung,” Hangyul said. He gave him a small smile, “You’re not going to know the answer if you just look at it; and if you can’t get past the integrals, how are you going to develop the analysis?”

Wooseok managed a small smile at the comparison; Seungyoun and Yohan looked at one another, confused.

“You’re going to be okay. It’s not going to be as straightforward as math because that’s something we’re used to. We understand that stuff. Humans are a little harder to understand and that’s okay, you’re going to be okay.” Hangyul told him, kind and gentle. Wooseok appreciated the reassurance but he wasn’t sure that he could really believe in Hangyul’s words. _Was he going to be okay? Maybe not._

_Maybe he’d just hopelessly drown in his feelings forever._

There was no way he’d be as lucky as Hangyul and Seungyoun, or even Seungwoo and Yohan. Jinhyuk didn’t like him beyond their act—his brain insisted it. The lingering affection and fond eyes? It must have all been a figment of Wooseok’s hopeful imagination. There was no way Jinhyuk liked him.

“I can hear the gears in your brain turning,” Seungyoun declared. The taller man placed the bottle of wine down on the coffee table in front of them, “Stop thinking too much, Wooseok. You’re going to end up stressing yourself out and ruining your relationship with him because you overthink every little thing.”

Wooseok deflated in Hangyul’s lap.

“What if he thinks I’m stupid?” he mumbled quietly.

Yohan got up from his seat across from where Hangyul and Wooseok were to bend down on the floor next to his best friend. Yohan placed a hand on Wooseok’s shoulder, frowning. Yohan’s soft voice accompanied his concerned expression, “Why would he ever think you’re stupid?”

“… because I developed real feelings for him when we were supposed to scam his fraternity together.”

“He doesn’t deserve you if he thinks you’re stupid for that,” Seungyoun added, voice soft.

“But I like him so much.” Wooseok felt the tears welling up in his eyes, again.

_He felt pathetic._ He felt so fragile, so pathetic, for tearing up over something like this—he felt pathetic for developing feelings for Jinhyuk in the first place. They had already defined the terms of their relationship: it was meant to be for a single weekend and that was it. It was Wooseok who extended their time together, it was Wooseok who ignored the fluttering warmth in his chest whenever he looked at Jinhyuk.

He inhaled sharply, _“I’m so stupid.”_

Hangyul hushed him. Yohan immediately grabbed the box of tissues from under the coffee table.

“You’re not stupid,” Hangyul reassured him. “You can’t control your feelings for someone.”

“You can think about anything and everything you do and regret it in retrospect,” Seungyoun told him. “But thinking that you’re stupid for having feelings for someone is ridiculous, Wooseok. You know that.”

“I saw all the signs,” he mumbled. “I ignored everything that clearly screamed to me that I was _going_ to fall for him. This is so stupid, it shouldn’t be like this.”

“Wooseok,” Seungyoun exhaled, “Don’t beat yourself up over this when you don’t even know how he feels about you. For all you know, he might be sitting in his bedroom waiting for the moment that you call him to tell him that you’ve been pining over him ever since you got back from Bucheon.”

Wooseok stared at his hands.

“… I wouldn’t do that,” he replied. Seungyoun gave him a look.

“And that’s a part of the problem, isn’t it?” he said. “You’re not going to make any progress on this if you refuse to tell him about how you feel, you know? It’s harsh but you already know, Wooseok: either tell him how you feel and see how things play out or just… get over him.”

Yohan crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at Seungyoun. The older man sighed.

“He needed to hear it from someone,” Seungyoun defended himself. “It’s easier said than done but I don’t want to see my best friend sitting here crying over a boy. I don’t want Wooseok suffering.”

“You could have been a little bit nicer about it. You think I want to see him suffering? He’s my best friend, too,” Yohan retorted. “We both want the best for him.”

The tension hung in the air.

Hangyul reached over to gently place a hand onto his boyfriend’s arm.

“… maybe you should take me home,” he whispered. “Wooseok hyung looks like he needs some rest.”

Seungyoun glanced at Wooseok and then back to his boyfriend. He looked at Yohan.

“Okay,” he replied. Seungyoun’s eyes lingered on Wooseok’s figure. “Take care of yourself, Seok. Don’t do anything stupid… we don’t need you to forget about taking care of yourself because you have feelings for a boy. We’re all here for you if you need us, okay?”

Wooseok nodded.

Silently, Seungyoun placed his hand onto Yohan’s shoulder and squeezed—a silent apology. Then, he motioned for his boyfriend to follow him out of the apartment.

Hangyul bid them farewell with a smile and a wave before he trailed after Seungyoun.

Yohan followed them to lock the door of the apartment.

When he came back, Yohan crouched beside the sofa.

“Let’s go put you to bed, hyung,” Yohan whispered to him.

The younger man’s strong arms lifted him up from the sofa. Yohan carried Wooseok to his bedroom and put him into bed. He gently lifted the covers and neatly tucked Wooseok in.

When he was done, Yohan crouched by the edge of the bed and gently placed his palm against Wooseok’s forehead. It was something Wooseok did to him whenever he tucked him into bed after Yohan had been drinking. Wooseok relaxed under the touch.

“… you don’t have to worry so much about me, Yohan-ah…” he murmured. “I’m not going to be sick.”

Yohan shook his head, “I know, hyung. You take good care of yourself and you can do these things alone, you’re always saying it. I’ve memorized it all by now.” He smiled a little and tilted his head, the light from the window softly highlighted his features. “But you should let other people into your life, sometimes. It doesn’t feel bad to have someone else take care of you, sometimes.”

Wooseok fell silent. He exhaled, unable to conjure a response to Yohan’s words. He turned his head away.

He heard Yohan’s soft exhale, an amused sound.

“Goodnight, hyung.”

As soon as the door clicked shut behind Yohan, Wooseok rolled over in his bed to pick up his phone.

The bright light illuminated his features, blinding. Wooseok tapped at the screen, navigating to the familiar conversation on his phone—a familiar heart on the screen, the rows of unanswered messages.

He typed up a quick message and sent it before he could have second thoughts about it.

_‘I miss you.’_

Wooseok plugged his phone back in and rolled back under the covers.

To Kim Wooseok, the best thing about text messages taking over the general complexities of _normal conversation_ was the fact that he could easily ghost someone after sending them a terribly risqué message and _no one_ could force him into interacting with the said person ever again. Now, the benefit that came with ghosting people was the entire fact that _you didn’t have to talk to them, you didn’t have to see them_.

Unfortunately for Wooseok, he realized it was easier to ghost someone when your roommate wasn’t dating their roommate. Wooseok figured as much but he was hoping that it wouldn’t be too difficult to completely avoid someone he lived so damn close to; someone who was best friends with his best friend’s boyfriend. Wooseok would have liked to live in ignorance, would have liked it if his plan worked and he didn’t need to face the confrontation.

He only came to realize that his plan was hopeless after he spent three days ignoring all of Jinhyuk’s text messages. He only came to realize that none of his plans would have come to fruition because, at some point, he would be facing Lee Jinhyuk in the most awkward interaction of his life. At some point in his life, he would be standing at his front door, staring helplessly at the taller man. And Seungwoo.

“Hi,” Seungwoo greeted him with a kind smile, always so kind.

Wooseok’s blood ran cold. His nerves threatened to swallow him whole.

“… hi,” he responded. He hoped he didn’t sound too perplexed. From the amused look on Jinhyuk’s face, though, Wooseok knew he was acting strange. Wooseok cleared his throat and stepped away from the entranceway. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“Yohan didn’t say anything?” Seungwoo asked, tilting his head. He looked confused. 

Wooseok looked down, “Um, he said you were coming to pick him up for a date.”

“You just weren’t expecting me,” Jinhyuk stated. Wooseok avoided his eyes.

“Are you going on their date with them?” Wooseok asked quietly.

Jinhyuk laughed but it wasn’t the cheerful sound that warmed Wooseok’s heart. This laugh spiked the anxiety in Wooseok’s veins.

He felt _horrible_ for ignoring Jinhyuk’s text messages.

He hadn’t even read them. Jinhyuk’s messages were still an orange bubble on his phone, unread.

“Jinhyuk said he was going to be lonely at home if I left him to go on a date with Yohan. He wanted to come and play games with you,” Seungwoo told him, brightly. Something about the tone of his voice made it sound like he was dropping his child off at daycare.

Wooseok gave an understanding nod—he willed for his expression to not give away the turmoil in his mind.

“Ah…” he managed, “I see.”

_Play games? What kind? _Wooseok wasn’t ready for more mind games between then.

At that moment, his best friend poked out of his bedroom. Wooseok might have turned on his heel and ran to hug Yohan if he had control of his limbs and didn’t care for his dignity. The sound of Yohan’s voice was the most relieving sound at that moment.

“You’re here early, hyung!” Yohan cried. The younger man ran down the hallway towards his boyfriend.

Seungwoo’s expression brightened into a cheerful smile. He opened his arms for the younger man to run into.

And if Wooseok weren’t so distressed about the concept of Jinhyuk standing in his foyer, watching his every movement, he might have pretended to vomit at their display of affection.

Yohan’s steps skidded to a stop in front of them when he realized that there was someone else in the apartment. A little too late, Yohan noticed the presence of Jinhyuk in their apartment. The vice-captain of the basketball team gave him a small smile.

A part of Wooseok felt like dying.

“He couldn’t wait to see you,” Jinhyuk remarked. His eyes were directly on Wooseok, “He missed you.”

Wooseok felt the edge in his voice. He flinched. Jinhyuk gave a sweet smile to Yohan. It didn’t reach his eyes.

He didn’t tell Yohan about the text message he sent to Jinhyuk that night but Yohan gave him a worried look. Seungwoo, despite his calm and collected behaviour, must have known something. Seungwoo must have told Yohan because Wooseok didn’t and there was only one other person who knew about the message. The look in Yohan’s eyes read: _do you want me to stay with you?_ But Wooseok couldn’t do that to his best friend—he couldn’t just deprive him of a date because he was unstable around a boy who made his heart flutter.

He looked away.

“You guys are so cute,” he said, absently. “Have fun on your date, guys.”

Yohan’s concerned eyes didn’t fade.

Wooseok forced a smile.

“You two enjoy your time, okay?” Yohan told them. He reached his hand out to gently squeeze Wooseok’s hand. “Play nice.”

Wooseok cleared his throat, “We always play nice.”

He wasn’t sure he believed it, himself.

Jinhyuk flashed an amiable smile at the remark. He shoved his hands into his pockets, “Unless Wooseok is asking for it.”

Yohan made a face.

“Okay,” he said, “That’s… that’s really not what I meant.”

Jinhyuk blinked innocently, “What do you mean?”

“… never mind,” Yohan answered. He looked over to his boyfriend with a small smile. “Um, we should go, right?”

Seungwoo nodded with a smile, “Of course. Whenever you’re ready.”

_Whenever I’m ready, please,_ Wooseok thought to himself. But the truth was that he would never be ready to face the confrontation. The awkward air between them was suffocating. The comfort of being with Jinhyuk was tainted with this uncomfortable air; an uncomfortable air that he made. Wooseok felt the guilt pool in his gut.

All too soon, Seungwoo and Yohan were leaving them in the apartment alone.

Wooseok wanted to hide. Wooseok wanted to hide but it wasn’t the same feeling as when he wanted to hide from Jinhyuk because his heart fluttered too loudly in his chest when he was around the older man. This was a pang of fluttering guilt that suffocated him.

Wooseok swallowed.

“Has your phone been dead?” Jinhyuk asked as soon as the door clicked shut behind them.

Wooseok folded his hands behind his back, a useless attempt to hide the device he was holding from Jinhyuk’s eyes.

“… no,” he mumbled.

Even now, he couldn’t bring himself to lie to Jinhyuk.

“Oh,” Jinhyuk said. The older man studied his expression with an interested arch of his eyebrow. Wooseok shrunk underneath his gaze, “That’s interesting, then.” He pursed his lips, “Because usually when someone says that they miss someone, they put effort into talking to them. They put effort into seeing them… kind of like how Seungwoo hyung showed up early for his date with Yohan.”

_I missed you,_ Wooseok couldn’t get the words to leave his lips. He couldn’t bring himself to speak.

“Usually, people put in effort after they tell someone that they miss them… unless they didn’t mean it,” Jinhyuk’s eyes bore into him. Wooseok stared down at the floor.

“Don’t do this to me, Jinhyuk,” Wooseok whispered. His voice shook. He felt small.

Jinhyuk frowned, “Don’t do this to you?” He stepped a little closer, “Don’t do _what_ to you?”

Wooseok bit down on his lower lip. Jinhyuk stepped closer.

He remained silent, tongue-tied. 

The taller man’s fingers were warm against his jawline. Jinhyuk tilted his face up. His eyes searched Wooseok’s eyes for something when they met. Jinhyuk’s brows were knitted together and Wooseok wanted to reach out a hand to gently smooth the lines away. He didn’t.

“What don’t you want me to do to you, Wooseok?”

Conflict flickered in Jinhyuk’s eyes. 

Then, his lips pressed against Wooseok’s. _Soft and gentle_—familiar and _so good._

As soon as it touched him, it was gone. Wooseok found himself wanting to pull Jinhyuk back—he reached.

Jinhyuk took a step back to look at him. Wooseok grasped at nothing.

“That?” he looked to where Wooseok’s hands were curled by his sides. “No, you wanted that, didn’t you?”

Flustered, Wooseok refused to respond.

“I’ll tell you what_ I _don’t want: I don’t want to play games, Wooseok,” Jinhyuk whispered. There was hurt in Jinhyuk’s eyes. It masked another layer of emotions. Wooseok felt his heart clench.

“I really don’t understand you, Wooseok,” he said. There was a sad smile on his lips, “Sometimes, I feel like you really like me. Sometimes, I _really _feel like you like me.” He looked happy in the split second that he entertained the thought of Wooseok _liking_ him. And for some reason, it _hurt_ to see. 

The haze of confusion returned as soon as it vanished, “Sometimes, we’re all good and everything feels like it’s going so well and I could die the happiest man in the world because everything feels like it’s working out. I kiss you and you love it. But then you suddenly ignore me for days and it makes me question if anything happened between us at all. You don’t text me back but then you’re happy to see me in person. You text me, you tell me that you miss me—it makes me so _damn _excited—and then you don’t reply for days.” He paused, “It’s so confusing, Wooseok. _You’re_ so confusing. I don’t know what to think. I don’t know how you feel. What do you feel for me, if anything at all?”

_I like you. I like you so much, _Wooseok wanted to say.

“Jinhyuk, I—!”

_“I like you, Wooseok,” _Jinhyuk said. He said it with so much sincerity in his eyes that Wooseok’s heart lurched in his chest. Suddenly, it felt like the entire universe was crashing down on him. 

Suddenly, it felt too difficult to speak. 

Jinhyuk continued, “I like you a lot and I thought I made it obvious. I don’t know if you’ve been avoiding me after we came back from Bucheon because you _realized_, but from the look on your face right now…” Jinhyuk’s lips tugged into a forced, terse smile, “you didn’t know, did you?”

Wooseok found himself tongue-tied. Jinhyuk kept speaking.

“You might have your own reasons for avoiding me,” he said, “I get it. I don’t need to know why you’re avoiding me but I’ll respect it if that’s what you want.” 

He exhaled with a laugh—somehow, it sounded bitter and Wooseok’s heart clenched at the sound of it. 

“So, I have feelings for you, you know that now…” Jinhyuk’s eyes flickered up to him, “If that makes you uncomfortable, we can stop doing what we’re doing now.” He pressed his lips together in a fake smile, “I told you that I’m not going to be the one to break up with you and I meant it.”

He took another step back. “I’m not here to make your life difficult, Wooseok,” he said. “I want to make this as simple as possible. I don’t want to be playing games with you when I have feelings for you.”

Wooseok _willed_ himself to say something. He couldn’t. 

“Think about it,” Jinhyuk said after a moment of silence. “If _you _want to stop, we can stop.”

With that, Jinhyuk left the apartment. 

Wooseok watched the door shut behind him, frozen still in his thoughts.

In retrospect, he should have known. The little hints were scattered everywhere in their interactions; the soft kiss to his forehead, the attentiveness, the gentle affection in everything he did for him, and the teasing remarks about falling in love with him. _He should have known better._

And Yohan hadn’t recently told him that he was a dumbass, but Yohan’s voice still loudly echoed in his head; a clear declaration: _you’re such a dumbass._ Wooseok hated that, for once, he agreed with Yohan. 

_He was one hell of a dumbass._

Jinhyuk didn’t answer any of his calls.

It sucked to be on the receiving end of being ghosted. Wooseok learned that the hard way. He supposed he deserved every bit of it, though. He deserved Jinhyuk ignoring him after everything. And, after Jinhyuk left his apartment, he had looked pathetic standing in his apartment, staring at the door, frozen in shock.

When he managed to get a hold on himself, though, every call was directed to Jinhyuk’s voicemail.

Wooseok buried himself into his bed, hoping his blankets would come alive and swallow him whole when the number of outgoing calls became too high. He stared hopelessly at his screen. _Jinhyuk wouldn’t pick up the phone hours after he’d told him to think about their relationship._

More than anything else that _stuck_ in the one-sided conversation he had with Jinhyuk, the fact that Jinhyuk actually _liked_ _him _was mind-blowing. Wooseok had been so caught up in his own perceptions of everything that he’d completely forgotten that the possibility that Jinhyuk really _did_ like him existed, if only at a fraction of a percentage. But regardless of what that perceived percentage was at the time, Jinhyuk was at his apartment and Jinhyuk told him that he liked him.

With all seriousness in his eyes, Jinhyuk told him he liked him. And Wooseok couldn’t speak.

Wooseok felt hopeless.

Yohan was visibly floating on clouds when he came back to the apartment from his date with Seungwoo. But the air in the apartment must have felt like death because Wooseok heard Yohan cuss under his breath, and then there were quick footsteps headed towards his bedroom. Wooseok wished his best friend wouldn’t find him and just let him rot in his bed.

Unfortunately for Wooseok, Kim Yohan wouldn’t be Kim Yohan if he didn’t do everything against Wooseok’s will. The younger man slammed the door to Wooseok’s bedroom open and rushed over to him.

“What happened?” he asked, panic in his eyes. “Why does it feel like someone died?”

Wooseok shrunk underneath his blanket, “… I died.”

“You’re speaking and alive,” Yohan retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. He frowned, “What happened? Did you fight with Jinhyuk hyung?”

Wooseok groaned and covered his face with the blanket. Yohan sat down on the edge of the bed with a frown. He pried the blanket away from Wooseok’s hands, concerned.

“Tell me what happened, hyung.”

“… he likes me,” Wooseok muttered. There was a confusing burst of happiness in his chest but it swirled so aggressively with a dread he never knew existed. Wooseok groaned and buried his face in his hands.

Yohan stared at him, blankly.

“He likes you,” Yohan repeated. “So, what’s the problem here? Why do you look like death?”

Wooseok looked at his best friend, miserable eyes glistening with the threat of tears.

“He told me he liked me,” he told him, quietly fiddling with his fingertips, “and then he left the apartment. He told me he was done playing games with me. He wanted to make things as simple as possible and he said he’d put the fate of our relationship in my hands. He wants me to think about what I think about him. But he won’t pick up my calls.”

“… he left the apartment?” Yohan frowned, “And you didn’t run after him?”

Wooseok sighed heavily, “I… I don’t know why. I was just so… shocked? I was so surprised? I couldn’t even speak.” He frowned, “I couldn’t move…”

“You said absolutely nothing when Jinhyuk hyung came to our house to pour his heart out to you?”

Wooseok bit down on his lower lip, “Don’t say it like that.”

Yohan frowned, “Isn’t that what happened?”

The older man looked away.

“Well… yes,” he mumbled. “It is.”

Yohan exhaled, “Listen, hyung… I’m not trying to hurt your feelings when you’re already feeling like shit but I think you need a reality check.”

Wooseok looked at him with wide eyes, innocently curious.

Yohan frowned, “We love you, I love you. You’re my best friend and I will always love you, but… you’re always hoping that we—Seungyoun hyung and I—will say things that soothe you and reinforce that what you already think is real. You’re always so worried about everything, you’re always so trapped in your own thoughts that you forget that other people have feelings, too.”

“All these weeks, I don’t know if you’ve realized it but that’s exactly what you did to Jinhyuk hyung,” Yohan told him. “You’re so involved with the possibilities of what _could_ happen, what _might_ happen.” He paused, “After the night we were talking to Seungyoun hyung and Hangyul—when you drank a little too much and Seungyoun and I fought—I asked my boyfriend about what he thought. I didn’t mean to pry but I wanted to know if he knew anything. Seungwoo hyung told me that Jinhyuk hyung had been sitting by his phone waiting for a message from you. He really likes you. _He really does._“

Yohan sighed and studied Wooseok’s expression, “I didn’t want to be the one to tell you that he liked you because you wouldn’t believe me, anyway. You were so caught up with the idea that he couldn’t possibly like you because you were supposed to be a fake couple. You completely ignored that _you_ fell for him even though it was supposed to be something fake.”

Yohan tilted his head and took one of Wooseok’s hands into his own, “Hyung, was it so impossible if you did it yourself? He’s not completely invulnerable to developing feelings just because he started it.”

A dull silence engulfed the space between them. Yohan squeezed Wooseok’s hand, a comforting gesture and an encouragement to speak.

Wooseok exhaled, slow and steady. Wooseok squeezed Yohan’s hands. “I… I’m so stupid.”

Yohan blinked at him. The younger man hesitated.

“You are. You _really _are.”

Wooseok frowned at his best friend. Yohan shrugged in response.

Then, serious eyes fixed themselves onto Wooseok’s eyes, again.

“What do you want, hyung?” Yohan looked distressed. The younger man clasped his hands together in his lap, his brows furrowed, “With Jinhyuk hyung, I mean. What do you _want_ with him?”

Wooseok stared at the floor. _What did he want?_

“You know that he likes you now,” Yohan told him, “what are you afraid of?”

In response to Wooseok’s silence, Yohan patted Wooseok’s hands, gently.

“Give him a little bit of time and give yourself a little bit of time,” he said, “And think about what you really want to do with your feelings for him. You two need to work this out.”

Wooseok managed to pull himself out of bed the next morning. He managed to get himself out of the house with a determination to work out everything between him and Jinhyuk. It was hard when calling Jinhyuk’s phone still sent him directly to voicemail. The determination he had when he woke up was crushed beneath the weight of distress—_what if Jinhyuk regretted confessing to him? What if Jinhyuk changed his mind?_

Wooseok’s determination to fix things between him and Jinhyuk, unfortunately, didn’t take him anywhere near the older man. Wooseok’s determination took him to Seungyoun’s apartment. And the very first thing Seungyoun did was shove a mug of coffee into his hands (“Okay, tell Doctor Seungyounnie what happened,” he told him as he dragged him over to the sofa).

Wooseok’s retelling of the previous day triggered distressed expressions from both Seungyoun and Hangyul (who had magically materialized from Seungyoun’s bedroom).

“So, he likes you,” Hangyul stressed. “And you said nothing about it?”

“I couldn’t.”

“That’s fair,” Hangyul replied, nodding thoughtfully, “I think I would be pretty shocked, too. Like, especially if I kept trying to convince myself that it wouldn’t ever happen. It’s almost like when I managed to get on the Dean’s Honours List last year… I didn’t think that was possible at all.”

Seungyoun looked at him with a fond gaze. He took Hangyul’s hand into his own, “You’re so smart, baby.”

Wooseok narrowed his eyes at them, “I’m sorry for interrupting your lovey-dovey in your own apartment, but this is about me right now. Please focus on me, I’m very distressed about all of this.”

Hangyul laughed at that. He pulled his hand away from his boyfriend’s grip.

“And you said he isn’t picking up the phone?” he inquired. Wooseok nodded.

“I don’t know what to do, guys,” he frowned.

“There’s something else bothering you, isn’t there?” Seungyoun asked. “The look on your face makes me feel like you’re not only stressed about the fact that you can’t contact him. There’s something else, right?”

Wooseok should have known that his best friends would know him better than himself.

Wooseok leaned back against the sofa with a groan, “What if, after confessing to me, he decided that he doesn’t like me anymore? I’m supposed to eventually tell him what I want between us, but… what am I supposed to do if he doesn’t pick up? He probably won’t read any of my text messages either, not that I’d want to tell him that I like him _so_ much over text.”

Seungyoun cleared his throat, “Luckily for you, Doctor Seung—”

“Please stop calling yourself that,” Wooseok deadpanned, the distress vivid in his eyes, “You’re not a doctor. You’re not even studying anything remotely related to sciences.”

Seungyoun turned to look at his boyfriend.

“Hangyul is,” he said. “Babe, you need to give him something.”

Hangyul rolled his eyes at Seungyoun. He crossed his arms over his chest, “First of all, I’m not even a medical student and secondly, I don’t have a cure for stupidity.”

_“Hey!”_ Wooseok clutched his heart with a pained expression of his face.

Hangyul looked at him, “You really think that he would stop liking you immediately after confessing?”

Wooseok didn’t answer him. He took a sip of his coffee, feeling shameful for having thought it.

“Hyung,” Hangyul said, “the only thing I can do for you is melt you down to centrifuge the stupidity from the intelligence and rebuild you with _just_ intellect. There’s no other solution.”

Wooseok placed the mug back down on the coffee table with an indignant look.

“Hangyul, I really thought you were on my side but here you are insulting my intelligence,” Wooseok sniffed, offended, “after everything I taught you in _Organic Chemistry_.”

“I said nothing about your academic intelligence,” Hangyul frowned. “I only mean that you’re absolutely hopeless when it comes to romance.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” _He knew exactly what that was supposed to mean._

Hangyul crossed his arms over his chest.

“Wooseok hyung,” Hangyul started, “if Jinhyuk isn’t picking up the phone and you really wanted to talk to him… why wouldn’t you just go to his place? You know where he lives, don’t you?”

Wooseok stared at him.

_Oh._

_Oh, shit. Right._

Wooseok scrambled off of the sofa.

“Are you looking for Jinhyuk?” Seungwoo looked slightly perplexed to see Wooseok at his doorstep, out of breath and heaving. Wooseok took a moment to gather himself between the breaths of air. He leaned against the wall near the door to rest. Seungwoo’s perplexed state quickly turned into concern.

The taller man hesitated, “… are you okay? Did you run here?”

Wooseok ignored it.

“I’m looking for Jinhyuk,” Wooseok managed to say between breaths. Seungwoo blinked at him.

_“Um,”_ he tilted his head. The older man frowned, “Sorry, Wooseok, he’s not here.”

Wooseok blinked rapidly, “He’s not here…? Where did he go?”

In response to the inquiry, Seungwoo pursed his lips and tilted his head. He studied Wooseok for a long moment, silent. The taller man shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants and looked Wooseok up and down. It was too obvious that he was considering whether or not he was meant to disclose Jinhyuk’s location to the younger man. Wooseok felt small under Seungwoo’s gaze; the playfulness he was used to from Seungwoo seemed so far away and Wooseok felt terrible about it. 

He swallowed, “… does he not want me to know?”

“Jinhyuk went back home.”

Wooseok’s heart dropped.

“… he went back home?” he asked, his voice a little too quiet and a little too fragile. Wooseok looked up at Seungwoo with wide eyes, “Like… back to Bucheon?”

Seungwoo nodded his head.

“He said that his sister was coming back from Japan, soon,” Seungwoo told him. The contemplation in Seungwoo’s eyes glimmered. He shifted his weight and looked at Wooseok for a long moment, quiet. Wooseok didn’t know what to say, he didn’t know what to do.

As if he took pity on Wooseok’s state of being, Seungwoo spoke. His voice was quiet, “He said it would be easier to breathe if he was away from Seoul for a while. He didn’t say when he was coming back.”

It felt like a thousand daggers to his chest. Wooseok gulped.

He looked up at Seungwoo, eyes shaking.

“… he wants to avoid me, doesn’t he?” he asked.

Seungwoo’s lips pressed into a thin line. The older man shook his head, “I don’t know what he’s thinking, Wooseok, but if it makes you feel better… Jinhyuk isn’t the type of person to purposefully avoid you just because he wants to do it. He really likes you, you know?”

Wooseok swallowed.

He looked down at the concrete.

“… I really like him too,” he mumbled.

There was a small smile on Seungwoo’s face. The older man gently placed a hand onto his shoulder.

“I know,” he said. “You just need to let him know.”

As far as letting Jinhyuk know he liked him went, a week passed and Wooseok still couldn’t actually get in contact with the older man at all. Jinhyuk practically disappeared off the face of the planet when he went back to Bucheon. Yohan reported that Jinhyuk wasn’t even responding to Seungwoo’s texts.

_Letting Jinhyuk know he liked him?_ It would have definitely been leagues more effective if Jinhyuk would pick up his phone. This was definitely something he wanted to deal with in person. Unfortunately for Wooseok, his options were a) storming up to the front door of Jinhyuk’s childhood home, which wouldn’t be the best idea (mainly because he didn’t remember the address), or b) patiently waiting for Jinhyuk to return to Seoul and ambush him in his apartment. Luckily for Wooseok—and according to Yohan—Seungwoo was unreasonably onboard with letting his boyfriend’s best friend camp out in his home if he wanted. Wooseok wasn’t sure that he actually wanted to commit to that, though.

He settled for being bitter about Jinhyuk disappearing off the face of the planet after he confessed to him, instead. He considered leaving Jinhyuk passive-aggressive voice messages about it. He ultimately decided against it because Seungwoo _told_ him that Jinhyuk wasn’t the type of person to ghost him because he simply wanted to. And for a brief time period, Wooseok genuinely considered the possibility that Jinhyuk might be dead. Jinhyuk being dead was far from ideal.

“You look like you’re ready to murder someone,” Yohan remarked, leaning against his doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. Wooseok jumped. He hadn’t noticed Yohan stepping into his room.

Wooseok scowled at his roommate, “I’m thinking about murder but it isn’t because I want to kill someone.”

Yohan raised an eyebrow, “That probably sounds a lot less concerning than it should.”

“You’re not concerned that I’m thinking about murder?”

Yohan shrugged his shoulders, “What’s the worst it could be? You’re probably thinking about worst-case scenarios where Jinhyuk hyung is dead and that’s why he’s not picking up your calls.”

“… how did you know?”

Yohan chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

“I didn’t,” he replied. “You were muttering about it under your breath.”

Wooseok narrowed his eyes, “How long have you been here?”

Yohan pursed his lips, “Long enough to hear that.”

Wooseok huffed.

“Why are you in my room, anyway?” he asked. Yohan’s lips pulled into a small smile. The younger man practically skipped over to Wooseok’s bed. He flopped onto the soft mattress and grinned wickedly.

“You look a lot less depressed about your feelings, recently,” he replied.

“And that’s why you’re in my room?”

“I just wanted to visit my best friend.”

“We live together.”

Yohan rolled over on the bed and rested his cheek in his palm, elbow against the mattress. He pursed his lips into a frown, “I was really worried about you.” He looked down and played with his fingers, quietly jabbing his fingers between the spaces. He shifted on the bed, “I was a little harsh to you last week. I felt like we haven’t really been talking very much because of it. Or maybe it’s something else, but… you’ve been caught up in your feelings and I’ve been feeling bad about being mean to you. I know that you probably didn’t think too much about it because we don’t really get serious and stay serious for long periods of time, but… I just wanted to make sure we were good.”

“… we’re good,” he answered.

Wooseok looked down at his desk. His fingers absently reached to grab a loose scrap sheet of paper. He tore it up as he spoke, “I’m not mad at you or anything. I don’t think I should be, nor do I think that I really could be. We’ve gone through a lot of shit together, Yohan. And this time… I’ve been really dramatic about everything and well, you know… maybe not the best friend I should be.”

“Hyung,” Yohan frowned, “You shouldn’t say that.”

“But isn’t it true?” Wooseok frowned. He tossed the scrap pieces of paper to the side, scattering them across his desk, “All of my feelings shouldn’t be making it feel like our friendship has been strained. You’re my best friend. I’d hate for it to be tense between us, not only because we live together, you know?”

Yohan nodded his head.

He grabbed one of the plush toys lying on Wooseok’s bed and hugged it close to his chest.

“… that’s good to know,” he replied. “I’m glad that we’re okay.”

“We’ve been friends for years, Yohan,” he told him. “These are things we should just work through.”

Yohan nodded.

“Communication is key to every relationship, right?”

Wooseok rolled his eyes, “Yes. If you want to be cliché, that’s exactly what I meant.”

Yohan’s lips tugged into a grin, “You look better when you smile, hyung. Stop rolling your eyes at me.”

As if to prove a point, Wooseok rolled his eyes again.

_“Hey!”_

“You have to stop being annoying for me to stop!” Wooseok childishly replied. He stuck out his tongue at Yohan. Yohan rolled off the bed to jab Wooseok in the side with his fingers. The older man screeched and rolled away from him on his chair. “Don’t touch me!”

“Don’t be mean to me!” Yohan retorted. “My boyfriend is big and strong and he’ll beat you up!”

Wooseok made an indignant snorting sound. He turned around to push his best friend back onto the bed. He sat on him and Yohan squealed. Wooseok smacked him with a stray pillow and Yohan burst into giggles. Wooseok huffed at him, “Seungwoo hyung would _never_ be mean to me!”

“He’ll beat you up if I tell him to!”

“Kim Yohan, would you dare?” Wooseok challenged, eyes blazing with danger as he held the pillow over Yohan’s head. Meekly, Yohan shook his head. “Good. Behave, you little shit.”

Wooseok rolled off of him to return to his spot at his desk.

“Hey, hyung,” Yohan called.

“What do you want?”

“Did you ever think about it?” he asked. Wooseok frowned.

“Think about what?”

“What you want,” he answered, “with Jinhyuk hyung.”

Wooseok turned around slowly in his chair. He pursed his lips in a frown, “It’s all I’ve been thinking about. Isn’t that much obvious?”

Yohan shrugged his shoulders, “So… what do you want, then?”

Wooseok sighed.

“As much as he isn’t talking to me or whatever, I still want him,” he replied. Wooseok drew absent patterns on the desk with his finger, “I want us to try to be a real thing this time. Like, I want him. I just somehow need to let him know that. But it’s kind of hard when I have no way of contacting him. I even asked to borrow Seungwoo hyung’s phone to call him. He’s just not picking up.”

Yohan’s lips tugged into a small smile. He spread out on Wooseok’s bed like a starfish.

“He’ll come around,” he replied. “You’ll both be perfectly fine.”

“He better,” Wooseok replied. “I can only hold my feelings to myself for so long before I jump him.”

“Jump on his dick?”

“Yohan.”

“I vaguely recall someone telling me that he wasn’t going on a date with Lee Jinhyuk because he wants to get laid,” Yohan teased. “This is some exciting character development, right here.”

_“Kim Yohan.”_

Suddenly, in a bout of fearlessness, Yohan threw a pillow at Wooseok. The older man whipped it right back at Yohan. The younger man dodged it. It smacked into the wall with a sound _thud! _Yohan whistled lowly as he crawled over to check the damage on the wall.

Yohan stroked the wall with his hand, “I’m so sorry that Wooseok hyung is so mean to you,” he drawled.

Wooseok groaned at him. “I don’t know anyone more annoying than you. You’ve been hanging out with Seungyoun too much.”

Yohan cackled, eyes twinkling with amusement. He fell back against the bed again, grinning.

“Hey, do you want to go on a date?”

The sudden change of the topic had Wooseok’s mind frazzled for a second. He frowned.

“With you?” Wooseok raised an eyebrow. Yohan sat up on the bed.

“No, with Jinhyuk,” Yohan deadpanned. Wooseok turned around, eyes suddenly bright. “Oh, _look at you_.” Yohan rolled his eyes, “Yes, with me. I don’t know where Jinhyuk hyung is.”

Wooseok sighed and deflated against his desk, “Me neither…”

Yohan whistled, “Hm, you don’t? I heard Seungwoo hyung told you.”

“He told you that he told me?”

“He tells me everything,” Yohan replied, cheekily. “He also told me to take care of you until Jinhyuk comes back because you’re fragile. As if I didn’t already know that.”

Wooseok huffed, “I’m not _fragile_.”

“Says the one who started crying when he realized that he had a crush.”

“That was justified!” Wooseok cried, “I didn’t think he would ever like me back!”

Yohan shrugged his shoulders. He opted to tease, “Huh, is that _really_ justified?”

Wooseok whipped a plush toy at him.

“Get dressed, we’re going to the mall,” Wooseok told him. “You’re paying for everything.”

After a week and a half of radio silence, Wooseok was half-tired of waiting for Jinhyuk to come back into his life. He was tired of hoping that he would wake up to a message from Jinhyuk, a missed called, _anything_. He hoped that he would hear something from Yohan, even—Seungwoo telling him that Jinhyuk returned to their house. _Anything_. Wooseok didn’t know how long he was meant to wait for Jinhyuk to come back to Seoul, back to him.

But after a week and a half of radio silence, the silence ended. _Almost_.

“There’s something for you on the kitchen table,” Yohan told him when he pushed open the door to his apartment and walked in with bags of groceries in his hands. The younger man was seated at the coffee table, focused on playing a game on his phone.

“There’s something for me?” he furrowed his brows, confused. He wasn’t expecting anything and usually, Yohan would tell him if he got a package in the mail.

Confused, Wooseok walked straight to the kitchen after kicking his shoes off.

Yohan got up from the sofa and trailed behind him.

Wooseok stopped in the doorway.

“… what’s this?” he asked.

At the kitchen table, there was a huge plush cartoon fox stuffed into one of the chairs to look like it was seated at the table; orange and white with pink blushing cheeks. Its beady eyes stared at Wooseok and Wooseok hesitated. He turned and looked at Yohan.

“… are you talking about that?” he asked. He pointed at it, “Is that what is for me?”

Yohan nodded his head. After a moment of consideration, he pursed his lips, “It looks like that thing you carry around on your keys all the time.”

“That _thing_ is a fox,” Wooseok muttered. “It was a gift from Jinhyuk.”

_“Mm,”_ Yohan mused as he pretended to stroke an invisible beard. “How funny. So is this one.”

Wooseok looked at Yohan with wide eyes.

“Jinhyuk?” he repeated. “He was here? You saw him?”

Yohan pursed his lips. He nodded his head, “He was here when you were gone. He brought that thing and told me to make sure you get it. And then he disappeared with the wind,” he narrowed his eyes, “before I could kill him for disappearing on you.”

“… don’t kill Jinhyuk,” Wooseok told him.

Yohan snorted, “You don’t want him dead?” Wooseok nodded._ “Fine.”_

The younger man crossed his arms over his chest and nudged Wooseok forward.

“He left a note for you, too,” he said.

Surprise flickered across Wooseok’s eyes, he approached the plush toy, slowly.

“It’s not going to attack you,” Yohan told him. “I’d kill him if it did.”

“Stop threatening to kill him,” Wooseok frowned at his best friend.

Yohan made a face, “I need to assume your role when you’re unable to do it.”

Wooseok pushed him. Yohan held up his hands in surrender.

Wooseok untied the little note from the plush toy’s neck. Wooseok unfolded it, slowly.

Neat rows of Jinhyuk’s handwriting greeted him:

_Hi Wooseok,_

_I’m writing this note on your kitchen table. And Yohan is glaring at me from across the table. You never told me that he was a scary person, you know? Anyway… I know it’s been a while since we’ve spoken. I’m sorry for ignoring you—Yohan told me I was an asshole. I really do agree with him. I know it isn’t really a good excuse, considering you’ve blown up my phone for the past week and a half but… I just don’t think I’m ready to hear your answer. _

_I said that I don’t want to play games with you and I really don’t. Quite honestly, I’m still afraid of your answer. I feel like I came off too strongly that day… I hope you can forgive me for that. I shouldn’t have just forced my feelings onto you… but I dropped by to give you something. I kind of purposefully waited until your car wasn’t in the parking lot to bring it over. I know, I know, you can hate me for it. _

_This… this is a gift from Jinsuk… you don’t have to accept it. Jinsuk can handle it if you don’t want to keep it. I’ll figure out something to tell her. She got it for you because she said it looked like you. I think so, too. It looks like you._

_I’ve kept this plush toy stashed away in my room for days. Jinsuk brought it back from Japan and told me that it was her gift to her ‘brother-in-law’. I wasn’t ready to see you so I didn’t bring it back to you. It turned out that staring at a giant fox plush toy that looks like you for a week made me miss you more than I thought I would. So, here I am—not in front of you—but in the form of giving you this toy. _

_If it feels like I’m playing games with you, I’m sorry. I’m really not trying to. I really like you, Wooseok. I really, really like you. We’ll see each other soon._

_Lee Jinhyuk_

Wooseok smacked the fox plush toy with his hand. He huffed and threw the note onto the table. With a pout on his lips, Wooseok picked the giant plush toy off of the chair and hugged it to his chest. He melted into its soft fur despite his annoyance. Maybe it was a result of the toy being stored in Jinhyuk’s room for a week but it smelled of Jinhyuk. Wooseok missed it.

From behind him, Yohan peered over his shoulder to read the note.

“I hate him,” Wooseok mumbled into the plush toy’s fur. “How are you not going to come to see me when you say that you like me so much?”

Yohan cleared his throat from behind him, “Well, he did say it was because he’s chickenshit.”

Wooseok elbowed him.

“That’s what he wrote!”

“That’s _not_ what he wrote!”

“He said he’s afraid, hyung!”

“Will you please be kinder to my future boyfriend?!”

“I can’t even confess to him,” Wooseok huffed and leaned back in the booth. He crossed his arms over his chest, “It’s not like I don’t want to tell him that I have feelings for him or some shit like that. It’s just that he avoids me at every goddamn chance he gets. He won’t even pick up the phone, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I don’t get _chances_ to confess.”

They were seated in a café near Wooseok’s apartment. Two days after receiving the giant plush fox from Jinsuk, Wooseok decided that he spent too much time locked in his room (silently cursing at the plush toy as if it were Jinhyuk himself). After several concerned looks from Yohan, while he was glowering at the toy, Wooseok had decided that spending some time with Hangyul would help him blow off the heat of Jinhyuk’s absence. Having someone to rant to was always helpful and Hangyul was his lucky victim.

Luckily for Wooseok, Hangyul didn’t mind tagging along with him. Hangyul didn’t mind listening to Wooseok’s rants about his love life. Or lack thereof.

Hangyul was also always willing to accept an offer for free drinks.

Hangyul sipped his mango smoothie with a frown, “I think you get chances. You just make excuses and then don’t actually pursue it at all.” Hangyul chewed on the straw, thoughtfully.

“Chances?” Wooseok snorted. He stirred his lemonade with the straw, his lips pulled into a frown, “When? He runs away when he has a chance to see me. How do I get a chance when it’s like that?”

“Didn’t he come to your place?” Hangyul asked. “Yohan told me he did.”

“He did,” Wooseok replied, burying his face into his hands with a groan, “he came to my place and he left me a giant plush fox and a note. He left before I could even see him. He’s making my life so hard. I just want to tell him that I’m something half-in-love with him and just end this mess.”

Hangyul’s lips tugged into an amused smile, “This would have been a lot easier if you weren’t so stubborn about it in the first place, you know?”

“I come to talk to you because you don’t attack me in the same way that Yohan does,” Wooseok told him. “You’re starting to sound just like him, Hangyul.”

Hangyul’s eyes twinkled.

“I’m dating your other best friend, remember?” he pointed out.

“No, you don’t sound like Seungyoun. Seungyoun is at least three times as annoying as Yohan,” Wooseok retorted. Hangyul pursed his lips into a pout.

“Annoying? I like to think he’s witty and adorable,” he said. Wooseok rolled his eyes.

“I thought I only had to deal with Seungwoo and Yohan being disgusting.”

Hangyul flashed a cheeky smile. “You thought wrong.”

Wooseok heaved out an annoyed sigh. He rested his cheek in his palm and glared down at his drink.

“I don’t get what Jinhyuk wants,” he muttered. “What’s it going to take for him to show his face?”

Hangyul offered Wooseok a small smile, almost pitying. He tilted his head.

“You know, this might be how he felt about you, too,” he said. “You said that he implied that he thought you knew he liked you, right? This is exactly the same thing… but reversed. You’re stressing because you think it should have been obvious to him that you liked him, too.”

“I kissed him!”

“Scandalously in front of his friends,” Hangyul confirmed with a nod. The younger man shrugged with a serene smile on his lips, “I don’t know how you’re both so stupid, really.”

“You can’t say something so offensive while looking so happy, Hangyul.” Wooseok narrowed his eyes.

Hangyul chuckled, “Am I wrong?”

Wooseok didn’t answer him. He averted his eyes from the younger man.

“I wish I knew more about how you and Seungyoun got together,” he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He leaned against the table. “It would make it a lot easier to make jabs at you.”

“You don’t need to know about us when you’re still struggling with your love life, hyung.”

“You’re terrible. I don’t know why we ever became friends.”

“You were the best _Organic Chemistry _tutor I could have ever asked for.”

Wooseok scoffed, “And this is how you treat me?”

Hangyul offered an innocent shrug of his shoulders.

They fell into a comfortable silence after that. For a moment, all they did was tap at their phones and sip their drinks. Hangyul turned his phone towards Wooseok, suddenly.

“Look at this—_oh,_“ Hangyul stopped speaking suddenly. He lowered his phone, the meme on the screen forgotten. His eyes were focused on something outside of the window, “Speak of the devil.”

Wooseok followed his gaze and turned to look to where Hangyul was looking.

_Jinhyuk_.

Jinhyuk was leaving the café they were in and walking down the street.

Wooseok hadn’t even noticed him.

“Here’s your chance,” Hangyul looked at him, “Are you going to take it?”

And Wooseok was tired. Tired of waiting. Tired of running, running from his feelings and confrontations. But if it counted for anything, he would run _towards _what he wanted, this time.

Clumsy, Wooseok abruptly stood up from his chair with his eyes wide. He fumbled with his wallet, his eyes still focused on Jinhyuk’s figure walking away from them.

Hangyul watched him with interested eyes. He tilted his head with a smile, “I’ve got it. You go ahead.”

Wooseok locked eyes with him.

And then he ran.

_“Jinhyuk!”_

Jinhyuk stopped walking at the sound of his name being shouted at him. The basketball player turned on his heel to look to the source of the sound. His eyes widened at the sight of Wooseok running after him, cheeks flushed with colour and obviously out of breath. The younger man skidded to a stop in front of him, heaving breath after breath. Wooseok inhaled sharply, a failed attempt to breathe properly again.

“Good god, why are you so _tall?_“ Wooseok managed to pant out. Jinhyuk looked puzzled.

“I—I’m sorry?”

Wooseok grabbed the taller man’s hand and he looked up at him, eyes wide and cheeks pink. He was still out of breath but he gripped Jinhyuk’s hand as if he was afraid the older man would run away from him, again. And for a moment, when their eyes locked, Wooseok suddenly lost his words. Everything he worked up in his head when he meant to confess his feelings to Jinhyuk, suddenly gone.

Jinhyuk was staring at him, still trying to grasp the situation; the fact that Wooseok ran down the street after him, the way Wooseok looked so frazzled from the run, the fact that Wooseok was gripping so tightly onto his hand with his eyes looking so _desperate._

The silence between them was filled with Wooseok’s heavy breathing.

When the younger man managed to speak properly again, his thoughts still hadn’t returned to him. The practiced, eloquent lines he had shouted at the plush fox were nowhere to be found.

“You’re such a fucking dumbass!” was what he settled for, instead.

Jinhyuk flinched. The older man blinked rapidly, “Um… I’m sorry, what did I do?”

Wooseok scoffed, “What did you do? What do you _mean_ what did you do?”

Jinhyuk stared at him, imploring him to continue speaking.

Wooseok’s grip on Jinhyuk’s hand tightened. “You kissed me and then ran away! You kissed me and then confessed your feelings to me and ran away for, like, two whole weeks!” Wooseok huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, letting go of Jinhyuk’s hand.

The older man looked a little flustered. “I—?”

_“I like you, you dumbass!”_

The exclamation left his lips louder than he intended—significantly louder than he’d intended. Passersby glanced at Wooseok in concern when the words left his lips. It took the odd stares for Wooseok to realize that they were still standing in the middle of the street.

Flustered, Wooseok pulled Jinhyuk closer to the wall, away from the walkway.

Quieter, he stressed, “I like you. You’re so stupid.”

He glanced up at the taller man, hesitant. Wooseok pursed his lips.

“I can’t believe that you’d just confess someone and disappear from the face of the planet for so long. You said that I was your responsibility and that you’d protect me and you just disappeared!” Wooseok told him. Jinhyuk looked guilty. “You could have at least waited for me to give you an answer! You could have at least picked up the phone, _once_. Why did you have to avoid me for so long?”

He took a breath, his eyes glistening under the afternoon sunlight, “I meant it when I told you that I missed you, you know? I sent you that text on a night when I had a little too much to drink and no self-control. I couldn’t face myself afterwards because I thought I would have scared you off by being so… _I… I don’t know._ I just didn’t think I had the right to miss you! We weren’t really anything, Jinhyuk. We were supposed to be fake dating and I wasn’t supposed to actually fall in love with you! What right did I have to miss you? I couldn’t face myself because I didn’t think you could ever like me in the same way!

“I panicked when you confessed to me,” Wooseok cried. “I didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t expecting it and I just froze. I didn’t know that there was even a _chance_ that you would like me back. I thought you were just playing along with our little act—making sure that everything felt natural when we were in front of other people. I should have told you that I liked you, too.” He looked away from the older man, “Do you even know how it feels when your crush since god-knows-when just suddenly tells you he likes you too?”

There was silence. Wooseok shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

“… yeah…” Jinhyuk muttered. Wooseok blinked, not having expected Jinhyuk to actually respond to his question. Jinhyuk met his eyes. He spoke again, “Yeah… I know how that feels.”

Wooseok stared up at him, questioning.

“… you’re making me feel like that right now,” he clarified.

_“Oh.”_

Jinhyuk’s cheeks were dusted with pink and the tips of his ears were flushed red.

Wooseok cleared his throat. He tilted his chin upwards, steeling his gaze with sincerity, “So, let me get this straight for you, Lee.”

Jinhyuk stared at him.

“I don’t want to be your fake boyfriend anymore,” he said. He looked up at the taller man, his eyes wide and sincere. They glittered with an intensity Jinhyuk wasn’t familiar with but Wooseok swore he’d never wanted something so desperately in his life before. “I don’t want it to be fake between us, anymore. I want to be able to hold you and kiss you and stare at you lovingly whenever the hell I want, not just because we’re afraid that people are watching us. I want to date you for real, Jinhyuk.”

Jinhyuk’s response was a bone-crushing hug.

_“Oh, thank god,”_ he whispered.

Squished against Jinhyuk’s body, it took him a moment to register his surroundings. Jinhyuk held him close with that familiar amount of strength, not any less surprising than the first time. Jinhyuk’s arms were warm and Wooseok could feel himself melting into the touch. This time, he let himself melt into it.

This time, with their feelings lingering in the open air, there was nothing wrong with letting himself go.

“I was really preparing myself for the worst,” Jinhyuk whispered to him. Wooseok wrapped his arms around the older man, a small frown on his lips. He looked up at him.

“Why?”

Jinhyuk flashed him a sheepish smile, “I was talking to Hwanhee… he said that when we were together, it looked like I was so hopelessly in love with you. He said that he didn’t believe that we were dating because we just didn’t have the _vibe_,” Jinhyuk explained. “I don’t really know what the _vibe_ is but… he said he didn’t believe it until he saw you staring at me from across the room, all night.” He scratched the back of his neck, “And even then, he said it looked like I was pining over you.”

Wooseok scoffed, “Try pining after each other.”

Jinhyuk laughed at that.

“You know,” Wooseok sighed, “I really thought this was some shit that could only happen in a movie. The whole… fake dating and then developing real feelings for each other thing. I really didn’t think it would ever be possible but… I mean, look at us now.”

Jinhyuk grinned. He rested his chin atop Wooseok’s head, smiling.

“Look at us, now,” he murmured. “First dates, fake dating, several more dates… and now, I can call you my boyfriend and really mean it.”

Wooseok hid a smile against Jinhyuk’s chest. He giggled quietly.

_Boyfriend._ It had a different ring to it, now. Wooseok decided he liked it.

For a moment, they stood in silence, hugging. For a moment, there was nothing but blind bliss.

Jinhyuk broke the silence.

“Hey, did you… run after me?” Jinhyuk said after a moment. Wooseok’s brows furrowed, confused.

_Run after him? When—ah._

He blinked, rapidly, “… yes? I did…?”

“… to tell me that you liked me?” Jinhyuk’s lips quirked into a small smile. He couldn’t hide the way the corners of his lips pulled up. There was that familiar glimmer in Jinhyuk’s eyes, again—the familiar glimmer which Wooseok finally recognized as gentle _endearment_.

“What’s the problem here?” Wooseok huffed, struck by a sudden wave of frustration.

Jinhyuk’s arms wrapped around his waist, suddenly. Jinhyuk grinned and pulled him closer to himself.

“Nothing,” he answered. “You’re just very cute.”

Baffled, Wooseok snorted. But despite the sudden wave of annoyance, the younger man wrapped his arms around Jinhyuk quietly. He bit down on his lower lip and glanced up at Jinhyuk, hesitantly.

“You still like me, right?”

Jinhyuk chuckled, “So much.”

“Even though we made each other’s lives hard?” he pressed. There was an innocent gleam of worry in Wooseok’s eyes. Jinhyuk pressed a soft thumb to Wooseok’s cheek, gently tracing the curve of his face, endearment twinkling in his eyes as he studied him. “Even though we could have had the easy way out if we were just honest about our feelings from the beginning?”

“Honest? I’ve practically liked you since we met,” Jinhyuk whispered. “So, I like you no matter what, Wooseok.”

In the middle of the street surrounded by passersby who could see their every action and hear their every word, tangled in one another’s arms, Wooseok pulled Jinhyuk down to press their lips softly together.

In kissing Jinhyuk, the familiar rush of sparks and electricity ran through his veins—Jinhyuk’s lips were soft. As soft as he remembered. Jinhyuk’s arms around his waist were warm and comforting, like they were made to be holding him. And Kim Wooseok never really had high expectations for playing games with romance but maybe, there came a time where everything fell into place.

Maybe, every decision ever made lead to a certain path; permanent and unchangeable.

And standing in the middle of nowhere, Wooseok decided he liked the stability of knowing his relationship with Jinhyuk was something meant to be permanent.

That in itself was better than any single moment’s thrill.

**Author's Note:**

> welcome to the end, i'm glad you're here.
> 
> you can find me on [twt](https://twitter.com/yuseokki) if you want to scream with me. all i do is scream, honestly.


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